Everything is costing more.
BILL HAS A PLAN TO BRING SOME RELIEF.
CONTENT COMING SOON!
Over the course of the last few years, politicians in Olympia have continued to drive up the cost of living in our great state. There are three key areas where the cost of living has increased substantially that will have a lasting effect on us all.
Transportation
Over the course of the last four years, the cost of getting from our homes, work, and social lives has increased. In 2021, Olympia passed Senate Bill 5126, which will increase the gas tax in January.
Starting in January, our gas tax will increase by 46 cents per gallon on top of the already 49 cents per gallon we pay, so bringing the total tax to just under a dollar per gallon.
When added to the federal gasoline tax, it will push JUST TAXES on gas to over a dollar. The state tax is expected to rise again in 2030, which will push the tax closer to $1.20 or more per gallon. Working families will be unable to afford the cost of gas and food for their families when these increases take effect. Families are going to have to decide if they want a roof over their heads or to fill their car with gas.
Some champion this increase because of their goal to no longer sell gasoline cars in Washington State by 2035.
Though the intentions are well meaning, many already struggle to afford a gasoline powered car and fuel.
News article: WA will ban new gas-powered cars by 2035, following California's lead.
Not only do we have to deal with an increase in the gas tax, many other fees were increased to pay for the $16 billion transportation package.
Even with a surplus budget to pay for these improvements to our infrastructure, taxes continued to be raised in times of economic uncertainty.
We need to provide real and substantial relief to our communities and families.
Taxes
Olympia has continued to increase our taxes even with a $15 billion budget surplus.
In 2019, the Legislature passed the Long Term Care Payroll Tax (HB 1087) which forced everyone into a program that would take 58 cents from every $100 out of our paychecks. However, it was decided that taxpayers would need to opt out of the program instead of allowing for an opt-in program. Not only was it difficult to opt out of the program, it was another misguided attempt going against the will of the voters.
In the our 47th district, over 55 percent of people wanted to repeal this long-term tax in the last advisory vote.
In 2021 after debating for many hours, a capital gains income tax was passed. But again, legislators were not listening to the voters. Variations of an income tax have been voted down ten times in Washington State, and the voters have twice voted for constitutional amendments prohibiting an income tax.
Housing
Over the last few years, leaders in Olympia have driven the cost of housing higher and higher. We are now at a point where owning a house where they grew up is out of the picture for our children and grandchildren.
Recent studies have shown that over 72 percent of people can no longer afford a median-priced home. That is due in part to new zoning laws that leaders in Olympia have put into place. For newly constructed homes, zoning laws account for $71,739 just to build new construction properties. That brings up the total cost of the home substantially—source (BIAW).
Most of these changes are not coming from the State Legislature but from unregulated governor-run departments where checks and balances are nonexistent.
News article: Energy code changes could boost home prices
BILL'S PLAN:
With a $15 billion budget surplus this year, and another $1.5 billion projected next year, we CAN give working families a break.
Here is how Bill would get to work helping put money back in your pocket:
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Create a gas tax holiday
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Bill supports a gas tax holiday and will fight to roll back the 46 cents/gallon tax legislation that was this year. There needs to be relief provided for families and communities getting hit by record high inflation.
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2. Cut sales tax
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Washington’s tax revenue growth has outpaced the nation since 2015. While other states around the country have enacted tax cuts in response to COVID, Washington raised taxes instead. As a state we have a balanced budget, and over $15 billion in surplus. There is no reason we cannot provide real relief to real people. Every tenth of a percentage point cut from our sales tax will provide about $300 million in tax relief for everyday people and still leave billions left over in state revenue to fully fund our schools and social services.
3. Property tax exemptions
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SB5463, proposed in the Legislature this year, would have exempted the first $250,000 of assessed property value from property taxes, but the bill wasn't even allowed to get a vote. This bill would provide real relief for homeowners..
With Bill as our Senator, he will work to make sure you end up with more of your hard-earned money in your pocket, not in Olympia. He will look for ways to reduce spending and provide relief.
