Olympia this week

Senate Republicans release budget proposal, highlight Democrats’ false claims  (WA State SRC)

State Senate Republicans proposed a $55.5 billion budget proposal that covers a broad range of public concerns while still balancing the budget without any more taxes. Through their proposal, Republicans have set the bar high for upcoming negotiations toward a new state operating budget. 

The proposal exposes Democrats’ false claim that our state needs new taxes for a balanced budget – in fact, there is no budget deficit and state revenue is growing. 

The top priorities of the budget include “restarting schools and bringing jobs back, while saving money for lower-income families.” Senate Republican budget leader Sen. Lynda Wilson stated, “Senate Republicans have been listening to the people, and the messages are clear. Kids need to be in school. People need jobs. People need relief. This budget responds to those needs in a reasonable and responsible way.”
        
State Legislature passes COVID-19 relief package – months after the start of pandemic  (Daily Chronicle)

State lawmakers have passed a $2.2 billion COVID-19 funding package for schools, businesses, renters and others. The package passed 47-2 in the Senate, receiving widespread bipartisan support. 

Some Senate Republicans expressed disappointment that the bill did not do enough to provide relief. Republicans brought eight amendments to the floor that pushed for “more money for schools, a quicker reopening of the state and adding certain stipulations for vaccine prioritization.” Republicans also tried to attach a “bill that would have moved the entire state to Phase 2 of the governor’s reopening plan, the latest of their push to move the state to Phase 2.” 

Democrats shutdown Republicans’ attempts to help Washington families and small businesses. Of course, Democrats also refused to act much earlier to help struggling families and businesses. As Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Whatcom County, said, “Today’s action is not early. Early action would’ve been a special session in May.”
        
WA Democrats’ one-of-a-kind wealth tax plan makes national news (Washington Examiner)

Washington Democrats’ plan to pass a wealth tax is making national news. Democrats are seeking to pass a “1% tax applied to paper assets such as cash, bonds, pensions, and stocks in excess of $1 billion.” The tax would be the first of its kind in the nation. The tax would target 10 people in our state including Jeff Bezos, who would owe about $1.9 billion under the tax. 

Of course, that it is best-case scenario for Washington State. Other possible outcomes include – as Jim King of the Independent Business Association argues – the wealth tax costing the state “a fortune in legal bills” and leaving it to “tax small businesses to make up the difference.” 

Another possibility is our state’s billionaires simple leaving the state and taking their spending power with them – the same consequence that led France to repeal its wealth tax just a few years ago (NPR).

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Inslee threatens to withhold COVID-19 vaccinations from Whitman County (KHQ-Q6)

Whitman County did what it needed to do – officials vaccinated all phase 1B tier 1 eligible people who wanted the vaccines. So, it prepared to move on to teachers, until Gov. Jay Inslee called to stop them. 

Inslee’s office warned county officials that proceeding with their plan would result in them “jeopardizing [their] current doses and any future allocations.”

Whitman County officials did not want to take the risk of Inslee withholding vaccines if they proceeded with their logical plan. They gave thousands of vaccines away to neighboring counties instead. 

Rosalia Schools principal Matt McLain put the ridiculous situation this way, “Our county is being punished for being efficient, because they have done a great job at delivering the vaccine. The question I have, is this a pandemic or is it not? If it’s a pandemic let’s treat it like a pandemic and get it in the arms and the hands of people that need it, period.”