ESSB 5543, as amended by the House Committee on Environmental Health, titled AN ACT Relating to mercury reduction, has been passed by the House of Representatives. The Senate has concurred in the House of Representatives amendments for ESSB 5543, and has passed the bill final passage.The Governoire Gregoire will sign this new tax soon.
This one is irksome. Now that the US Congress has outlawed sale of incandescent lights, people are forced to switch to CFLs. The Washington State Legislature, sensing a chance to draw blood, is going to tax CFLs because they contain tiny amounts of mercury. In fact, the Legislature is merely greedy.
The tax is "only" about $1,000,000 per year statewide. But given the people have no real choice but to buy fluorescent lights, this is merely a new tax masquerading as environmental concern. Its just the government showing a predatory indifference to the people.
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