Olympia this week

Inslee vetoes COVID-related provision in racial equity analysis bill (Washington State Legislature)

Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed Senate Republican Leader John Braun's amendment to Senate Bill 5405, which mandates a racial equity analysis by the nonpartisan Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC).

Braun's amendments required a racial equity analysis of the in-person K-12 education restrictions put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state Senate passed the amendment on a 47-2 vote.

Inslee excused his veto by saying the Washington Student Achievement Council – an agency that focuses on higher education and not K-12 – conducts a broader review of racial inequities in K-12 education. 

In response, Braun stated, "The racial and economic disparities that are a direct result of remote instruction under the governor's proclamations during the COVID-19 pandemic are severe... we need to understand what inequities were exacerbated or created by our response to the pandemic." 

Inslee's veto gives the appearance of an attempt to cover up the consequences of his decision to close schools.

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Inslee sparks outrage with questionable line-item veto (Washington Policy Center)

During the 2021 legislative session, Democrat lawmakers cut a deal in their attempt to make a High Carbon Fuel Standard (HCFS) and a Cap and Tax new cost realities for families across the state. Lawmakers made the two plans contingent on a future transportation tax package. 

This week, Inslee vetoed the contingency.

Senate Republican Leader John Braun stated, "A court ruled that the governor illegally used his veto power in 2019. Today, the governor ignored that by vetoing a subsection of one of his highest priority environmental bills.  The Constitution is clear – the governor may not veto anything less than an entire section of a bill. Maybe he's emboldened by the sweeping authority he continues to have because majority Democrats refused to address emergency-power reform."

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Second lawsuit filed against state income tax on capital gains  (Seatle Times) 

Democrats' attempt to bypass the state's constitutional law and force a state income tax on capital gains continues to provoke lawsuits. 

Last week, former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna filed a lawsuit alleging that, contrary to Democrat claims, the new tax is – in fact – an illegal income tax. McKenna filed the lawsuit in the Douglas County Superior Court on behalf of "several state residents, including owners of farms and manufacturing businesses, investors, and the Washington State Farm Bureau."

The lawsuit also seeks a court order to block the imposition of the new state income tax. 

The Opportunity for All Coalition, a nonprofit group backing the lawsuit, successfully struck down an income tax passes by the city of Seattle in 2017.

"Supporters of the [income] tax, including education and child care advocates, denounced the lawsuit as an attempt to protect the state’s wealthiest residents from paying their fair share," according to the Seattle Times article.  That line of reasoning isn't credible given that the Democrat controlled legislature increased  taxation by about $5 billion with $59 billion in spending ($8,400 per person).

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Inslee signs two bills at once, raises legal questions (Crosscut)

Lawmakers passed two bills aimed at expanding high-speed internet in rural areas. Problematically, the two bills may partly cancel each other out. 

Rather than take leadership, Gov. Jay Inslee signed both measures into law at the same time – one with his left hand and the other with his right hand.  He did so with the cameras off, a clear sign he knew something is not right. As a result, confusion over the legality of both bills co-existing is building.  At the request of the Secretary of State's Office, the Thurston County Superior Court will likely weigh in and provide guidance. 

One thing remains clear – the pandemic demonstrated the need for more reliable internet connections in rural areas. The lack of reliable internet places adults and children at a disadvantage, making it impossible to access telemedicine services or remote work/online schooling.

Making Seattle safe for crime

The police are leaving -- Seattle Police Department is down 20 percent in the last 18 months.

The Seattle Police Department is struggling under the backlash of recent police reforms. The state of Washington has just enacted a dozen police reform laws, following nearly a year of protests over police brutality. More than $840 million were cut from U.S. police budgets in 2020. This has caused a shortage of police in Seattle. The police chief tells CBS News that 260 officers, which is almost 20 percent of the force, have left in the past year and a half (CBS). 

“Morale is not good, and that’s because we don’t have the political support from our elected officials,” Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan stated. “And as we’re seeing officers flee this area, it’s a direct result of that lack of political support” (Police Tribune).

Olympia This Week

Inslee announced long-awaited reopening date (Washington State Legislation )

Gov. Jay Inslee announced our state is on track to reopen fully by June 30. 

By Tuesday [May 18], every county w+ther to move into Phase 3. 

Inslee's announcement came after months of dragging his feet on reopening, and days after Washington Hospitality Association launched a public petition calling for him to fully reopen by June 15. 

Following his announcement, Senate Republican Leader John Braun and House Republican J.T. Wilcox offered a statement pushing for an earlier reopening: "Now that our state is aligning with the new CDC guidance -- meaning the mask mandate and distancing guidance are lifted for fully vaccinated adults -- we believe June 15 is still a reasonable deadline." 

Inslee's announcement also came after the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released new guidance on masks. The state is reviewing the new direction and plans to make updates reflecting the changes.

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WA schools to reopen for in-person classes in fall 2021  (The News Tribune)

Schools across Washington state must provide full-time, in-person education for students beginning in fall 2021. A mask mandate for staff and students will remain in place. The masking requirement comes even after the CDC eliminated the need for indoor mask-wearing for fully vaccinated people. 

For months, Republicans have called for schools to reopen for in-person classes, given the very low risk of COVID-19 transmission. Children across our state are falling behind academically and facing severe mental health challenges because of social isolation. A fall reopening for in-person classes is far overdue. Sen. John Braun has consistently said that the lack of in-person learning is the equity issue of our time.

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Washingtonians must know opt-out rights for upcoming payroll tax (The Lens)

A state law passed in 2019 will take effect starting January 2022 – and Washingtonians must know their rights regarding opting-out. Workers' paychecks will soon feel the impact of a new payroll tax that costs 58 cents per $100 of income. 

Revenue from the tax will be used to pay for a socialized entitlement program that many workers do not need or will never use.  The program seeks to create a fund for long-term-care costs associated with Medicaid – however, benefits are not guaranteed for life. 

Given increasing yearly expenses, it's also unlikely the tax will stay at 58 cents per $100 of income. Washington residents have the option to opt out of the tax and entitlement program. However, a new bill passed by Democrats during the 2021 legislative session gives people only until November 1, 2021.

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Inslee vetoed legislation that would outlaw gas-powered vehicles (My Northwest)

In a surprise to many, Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed a measure that would have ended the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2030. However, his decision was not a result of common-sense arguments against the legislation, including its overall lack of feasibility. 

The bill included a contingency for phasing out gas-powered vehicles that Inslee disliked. The 2030 restriction would only kick in with "at least 75% of registered vehicles in the state participating in a yet-to-be-completed pay-per-mile road usage charge." Inslee only supports "phasing out gas powered vehicles, provided it's not tied to a pay-per-mile system that has yet to be fully realized."

The synthesis is that we get a pay-per-mile tax, then we get forced into using non-gasoline (read 'electric') powered vehicles.  The alternate energy supply system has not been imagined, engineered,or constructed -- but these points have not attracted the politicians' interest.

Olympia This Week

Inslee continues his capricious dictatorship (Kitsap Sun)

Jay Inslee sparked outrage when he announced his decision to force Cowlitz, Pierce, and Whitman counties back to Phase 2 of his flawed reopening plan. He refused to reconsider his decision and responded by insisting the state stick to the reopening plan.

That all changed this week. Under Inslee's flawed measurements, numerous counties – including King and Snohomish counties – were set to go back to Phase 2 of reopening. Instead, Inslee announced a two-week pause on decisions to move counties from current phases of reopening.  He explained that "remaining flexible" is an important part of reopening.

In other words, Inslee gets to make arbitrary decisions that impact the lives of families and businesses across Washington without any accountability or checks on his power.

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Pierce County Democrats threaten Inslee with a special session (My Northwest)

Some Democrat lawmakers are already regretting their failure to work with Republicans to place legislative checks on the governor's use of emergency powers. 

This week, Jay Inslee continued his arbitrary use of his emergency powers and announced an unexpected shift in his reopening plan. He announced a pause of any decision relating to shifting counties from their current reopening phase. 

That leaves Pierce County stuck in Phase 2 for at least the next two weeks. 

In response, a group of Pierce County state legislators – including eight Democrats in the House and Senate and four House Republicans – sent a letter to Inslee protesting the decision. The lawmakers demanded Inslee re-examine his decision. They said failing to do so would "require us to consider asking our leadership to exercise the Legislature's authority to call a special session and weigh legislative options." 

If only Democrats took their legislative options seriously and placed the needed  check on the executive's emergency powers before the end of the regular session.

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State lawmakers look to take additional action on Employment Security Department failures  (Washington Policy Center)

Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD) lost at least $650 million to scammers in a fully preventable fraud scheme. Adding to the agency's failures, thousands of legitimate claimants waited months to receive unemployment benefits.

The state legislature passed four bills addressing ESD's failures, but lawmakers are not done. A recent exchange between ESD spokesperson Nick Demerice and Senator Ann Rivers (R – Clark County) exposes a significant problem – sluggish bureaucracy.

Demerice responded to inquires of ESD's lack of preparedness by stating, "Like every other phone-based company in the world, Monday morning at 8 a.m. is the worst possible time to try and call us." 

Sen. Rivers offered a simple solution, "If your high-volume is Monday morning, staff up for Monday morning. Fixing ESD requires agency officials "provide the public with more transparency into its internal policies, improve fund balance reporting accuracy, data timeliness and data availability."
        
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Inslee signs Democrats' state income tax bill (WSJ)

Gov. Jay Inslee signed Democrats' state income tax on capital gains bill this week. The new state income tax already triggered two lawsuits and – undoubtedly – will face legal battles for the foreseeable future. 

A disturbing recent public records investigation revealed Democrat lawmakers have big plans for their new state income tax on capital gains. Emails exposed their plan to use activist courts to force through a statewide graduated state income tax. Democrats insist their new tax will only impact the very rich, but that's not true. Not only do they plan to impose a graduated state income tax on middle-class families, but their new income tax on capital gains will also hit working families.

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board recently explained, "The Biden and Olympia tax increases on capital gains won't matter to Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos, who are already rich and can hire lawyers to shelter their future gains. 

The people who will be hit unfairly are the middle-class strivers or entrepreneurs who might be capital-gains "rich" for a year after a lifetime of work and investment. The politicians define "fair share" as taking more than half of everything they earn."

Interesting that then candidate Inslee declared in 2016 he did not support a state income tax (Seattle Times)

WA Income tax is now law

"Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday made his most audacious asault yet on the state's taxpayers, signing into law an income tax disguised as a capital gains tax disguised as an excise tax."  -- Freedom Foundation

Governor Inslee and the Democrats have passed an income tax (WAGov notice).

The total tax cost is projected to be $5,772,000,000 over the next ten years.  That is equivalent to $757.98 in additional tax for every person in the state.  Most people realize this is just a foot in the door -- The Democrats will seek to tax everyone's income.

But Washington state's constitution declares income tax to be illegal (Article 3, Section 1).  An income tax seemed stupid to the framers;  income tax is a tax on personal industriousness.

The exact income tax the legislature passed is on gains from investment -- what the left derides as "unearned income."  But investment is done in society at large. When one person invests, every participant wins when the project gets a profit. 

Clearly the Democrats in the legislature don't get it.  Instead, they malign others and put their own addiction to taxing/spending ahead of the prosperity of all the people of Washington State.

The Freedom Foundation has already filed an action against the legislature to stop the income tax (press release).   They are glad to get a donation to help with the fight.  Donate link

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These are the Washington state senators who voted to enact an income tax:

WA Sen. Steve Conway (D), (360) 786-7656, steve.conway@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Karen Keiser (D), (360) 786-7664, Karen.Keiser@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Sam Hunt (D), (360) 786-7642, Sam.Hunt@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Jeannie Darneille (D), (360) 786-7652, DARNEILL_JE@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D), (360) 786-7616, bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Christine Rolfes (D), (360) 786-7644, christine.rolfes@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D), (360) 786-7628, jamie.pedersen@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Marko Liias (D), (360) 786-7640, Marko.Liias@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Reuven Carlyle (D), (360) 786-7670, Reuven.Carlyle@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Derek Stanford (D), (360) 786-7600, Derek.Stanford@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Andy Billig (D), (360) 786-7604, andy.billig@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. David Frockt (D), (360) 786-7690, David.Frockt@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Annette Cleveland (D), (360) 786-7696, Annette.Cleveland@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. June Robinson (D), (360) 786-7674, june.robinson@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Patty Kuderer (D), (360) 786-7694, patty.kuderer@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Lisa Wellman (D), (360) 786-7641, Lisa.Wellman@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D), (360) 786-7688, rebecca.saldana@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Manka Dhingra (D), (360) 786-7672, Manka.Dhingra@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Mona Das (D), (360) 786-7692, DAS_MO@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Joe Nguyen (D), (360) 786-7667, NGUYEN_JO@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Jesse Salomon (D), (360) 786-7662, SALOMON_JE@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Claire Wilson (D), (360) 786-7658, WILSON_CL@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Emily Randall (D), (360) 786-7650, RANDALL_EM@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. Liz Lovelett (D), (360) 786-7678, Liz.Lovelett@leg.wa.gov
WA Sen. T'wina Nobles (D), (360) 786-7654, T'wina.Nobles@leg.wa.gov 

Impolite suggests you vote against them.

Olympia this week

Lawsuits to challenge constitutionality of new state income tax on capital gains (WA Policy)

Democrat lawmakers plan to use their recently passed income tax on capital gains to set-up a lawsuit to “try to impose a broad-based graduated income tax,” according to public records.  The result is the Democrat lawmakers' actions is the state of Washington will now face two lawsuits.

The Freedom Foundation filed a lawsuit in Douglas County questioning the constitutionality of the law. And the Opportunity for All Coalition (OFAC) also announced plans to file a lawsuit.  OFAC stated, “The state’s constitution clearly prohibits this type of tax, something that its supporters know.”

Unfortunately, as the Washington Police Center’s Jason Mercier points out, “It could be years, however, before we know if the state Supreme Court decides to uphold its numerous rulings saying that you own your income or if they’ll instead reverse course and take the bait from income tax supporters.”

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Democrats pass record-breaking spending plan -- they left no time for public input  (Washington State Wire)

House and Senate Democrats released their two-year record-breaking tax-and-spend budget just one day before the voting deadline. Democrats’ unprecedented tax-and-spend plan spends $59.2 billion – draining the state’s rainy-day fund – and uses $10 billion in federal stimulus funds.  The Democrats love to spend your money.

Democrats’ late release of the budget means lawmakers (and the public) had very little time to review the record spending and new taxes. The Senate passed the budget on a near party line vote, with only Sen. Mark Mullet (D – Issaquah) and Sen. Tim Sheldon (D – Potlatch) joining Republicans in voting no.

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Democrats tie extreme “green” schemes to hike in gas tax (Capital Press)

Democrats’ cap-and-trade scheme and High Cost Fuel Standard (HCFS) will be implemented if “Washington lawmakers reconvene and also raise the gas tax by at least 5 cents a gallon.” Given these ineffective and extreme “green” schemes would exponentially increase fuel costs by 95 cents/gallon in 2028, some Democrats were hesitant to vote for the policies until the Legislature agrees on “a new 16-year transportation plan that includes a gas tax increase.” +

The 2021 legislative session ended without a transportation deal – but Democrats have indicated they will renew negotiations soon. If a gas tax is passed, the cap-and-trade scheme and Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) will take effect in 2023. 

Washington Farm Bureau director of government relations Tom Davis stated of the policies, “The cumulative impact on the farming community is what we’re most concerned about… It’s going to have a huge impact on agriculture. We use fuel, and we’re not apologetic about.”

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The 2021 legislative session concludes, what passed and what didn’t (The Lens)

Washington’s 2021 legislative session ended on Sunday – 4/25. The session went on for 105 days and – during that time – Democrats passed a lot of damaging new legislation. 

Notably, bills that did not pass this legislative session reveal what Democrats may pursue in the future. For example, Washingtonians were spared Rep. Tina Orwall’s (D-33) expansion of the state death tax. The list also includes Republican-sponsored bills that Democrats killed. This includes Rep. Brandon Vick’s (R-18) B&O tax relief that would have reduced the heavy tax burden carried by the hospitality industry, encouraging recovery after COVID-19 shutdowns.