OLYMPIA -- This is the biggie, the three-tenths of 1 percent increase in the sales tax for the next three years.Sen. Janea Holmquist, R-Moses Lake, says Democrats are always saying the sales tax is the most regressive, and yet they want to raise its. She…
OLYMPIA--Republican offer an amendment to strip out an increase to the business and occupation tax on service businesses.The Senate Democrats' proposal raises the current rate of 1.5 percent on gross receipts to 1.75 percent on one of the largest categories of businesses.How big? Sen. Joe…
OLYMPIA -- Republicans try to strip out a provision that puts the state sales tax on bottled water.Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, says previous debates have been "pretty esoteric" about things "that really don't direct the lives of individuals. This one does.""Here is a $30 million…
OLYMPIA -- Republicans are offering an amendment to take away a tax on property management firms. Right now those companies have an exemption to the business and occupation tax on salaries.Sen.Chris Marr, D-Spokane, agrees, saying it will cause rents to go up as the tax…
OLYMPIA -- Republicans tried unsuccessfully to strip out changes on tax exemptions for solar projects.Sen. Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, said the Legislature is trying to encourage solar energy projects, and should keep the exemption.Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Bainbridge Island, says it's designed to spread money around among…
OLYMPIA -- Republicans ask to strip out theprovisions that make top corporate officers liable for unpaid taxes of a terminated or insolvent Limited Liability Corportion.Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, says that will just result in businesses setting up their LLCs in another state.Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Seattle,…
OLYMPIA -- Sen. Don Benton offers an amendment to strip out a provision that gets rid of the exemption from the real estate excise tax for homes sold from foreclosure.On normal sales, the real estate excise tax, or REET, is paid by the seller. But…
OLYMPIA -- Sen. Val Stevens argues the tax falls unfairly on "direct sellers" like Avon ladies, and offers an amendment to strip provisions on the business and occupation tax changes out of that.Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, says she should read her own amendment, because she…
OLYMPIA--Sen. Don Benton offers an amendment that argues rules giving the Department of revenue authority to go after companies avoiding taxes are too broad."It gives the department the ability to go on witchhunts throughout the business community, it's another job killing tactic," Benton says.Other Republicans…
OLYMPIA -- Opening salvo in the Senate debate over a package of tax increases to help ballot the state's operating budget.Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, argues the whole bill is unconstitutional because it contains too many subjects. It's logrolling, he contends.This bill contains 21 different taxes…
OLYMPIA -- The Lege is working Saturday, and likely Sunday, as the clock ticks down to a scheduled adjournment on Thursday.Senate Democrats just placed their tax package on the calendar for a vote sometime today, which suggests they have the 25 votes necessary to pass…
OLYMPIA – Despite warnings of wrath from voters in November, Senate Democrats moved a step closer to a vote on some $890 million in tax increases to fix the state’s budget hole. The Senate Ways and Means Committee approved 12-10 a three-year increase in the…
OLYMPIA -- Taxing bottled water is such a bad thing that Sen. Mike Carrell wondered today where it would all stop, and offered up no less an expert than The Beatles to prove his point.But Ways and Means Committee Chairwoman Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, made it…
OLYMPIA -- Between Democratic confusion over how to treat tax exemptions for a coal fired power plant in Lewis County, and Republican amendments that demanded public advisory votes on practically every tax Democrats want to change, a Senate committee had to recess Friday afternoon without…
OLYMPIA -- Senate Democrats' plans to raise taxes could move to the Senate floor over lunchtime.The Senate Ways and Means Committee just began a hearing on a revised tax package that has some tweaks in the proposal released last week. Gone is the removal of…
OLYMPIA -- Expect a flurry of activity today because it is one of the big "cut off" days. Most bills that started in one house (and passed) have to get out of the other house by 5 p.m. today.That doesn't apply to budget bills and…
Funny or Die got some of Saturday Night Live's best spoofers of presidents together to give Barack Obama some advice.Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell
OLYMPIA -- Two bills sparked by an Eastern State Hospital patient's escape during a Spokane County Fair field trip last September moved easily through the Senate Thursday.Philip Paul was part of an Eastern State group visiting the fair when he slipped away from the other…
OLYMPIA -- Washington voters would be given a chance in November to change the constitution in a way that would allow more suspects to be held without bail before they go to trial.A resolution passed Thursday by the Senate calls for a vote on a…
OLYMPIA -- Senate Democrats may offer voters a choice of which tax they like better: a higher sales tax or an income tax on people making more than $200,000 a year.With very short notice, the Senate Ways and Means Committee has scheduled a hearing this…
OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire led a group of seven governors Thursday patting The Boeing Co. on the back for joining the competition over the new Air Force tanker.Not that there's any surprise that Boeing would get into the competition. After all, it has been…
OLYMPIA -- The Legislature is scheduled to wrap up a week from today, although some legislators are saying they wouldn't bet the rent or the budget on that happening. Tax and spending proposals still have to be reconciled, and many people mention "25 and 50".It's…
OLYMPIA -- Churches would be able to hold occasional farmer's markets on their property without losing their tax exempt status under a bill passed overwhelmingly Wednesday by the Senate.The Senate gave 46-1 approval to a bill that allows churches and other public meeting places owned…
OLYMPIA -- Dry Fly Distillery and any other "craft" maker of distilled liquor will be able to grow three times larger than the current limits under a bill that passed the House Wednesday.Small or craft distilleries were unknown in Washington two years ago when the…
A group calling itself One Term President (because that's what it wants Obama to be) has a music video making the rounds on YouTube and other sites.After watching it, please talk among yourselves to decide:1) The words aren't much but it's got a good beat,…
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