The State House of Representatives have unveiled their budget proposal. The Republicans argue that the economy is getting better and revenue is increasing, so we have plenty of money to fund whatever we need without raising taxes. They ignore the drastic cuts that were made during the recession that have left our state suffering. And while they may give lip-service to the idea of tax fairness, their fixation on “no new taxes” means supporting the status quo of a really unfair tax structure.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter seven years of cuts totaling more than $12 billion, we have to take an honest look at the state of our state,\u201d said House Majority Leader Rep. Pat Sullivan (D-Covington). \u201cWe have to ask: \u2018Is this really what we want?\u2019 This budget is a stand against mediocrity. Just being \u2018Okay\u2019 is not acceptable.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n What the House Democratic Budget will do:<\/strong><\/p>\n As a result of an unfair and outdated tax structure, state revenues are becoming increasingly inadequate to pay for essential state services like basic education, health care, and prisons. The state doesn\u2019t have adequate resources despite a growing economy. After seven years and $12 billion in budget cuts stemming from the Great Recession, many lawmakers believe now is time to act on revenue reform.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the most unfair tax structure in the nation,\u201d said Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-Seattle), House Finance committee chair. \u201cOur tax system hurts working families, the middle class, and small businesses, while the wealthiest individuals and corporations don\u2019t pay their fair share. It\u2019s time to build fairness in the system so that we can make critical investments in our state\u2019s economy.\u201d The State House of Representatives have unveiled their budget proposal. The Republicans argue that the economy is getting better and revenue is increasing, so we have plenty of money to fund whatever we need without raising taxes. They ignore the drastic cuts that were made during the recession that have left our state suffering. And … <\/p>\n\n
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\nRead more from the House Democrats<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"