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Spin Control archive for Jan. 1, 2010

SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010



WA Lege Day 55: Tax debate over bottled water

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…

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WA Lege Day 55: Tax debate on solar and coal

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…

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WA Lege Day 55: Tax debate on corporate officers

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,…

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WA Lege Day 55: Tax debate on Avon ladies

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…

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WA Lege Day 55: Tax debate on DoR rules

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…

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WA Lege Day 55: Tax debate begins

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…

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WA Lege Day 55: Senate tax vote coming

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…

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FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010



WA Lege Day 54: Tax hearing recesses

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…

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WA Lege Day 54: Talking taxes

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…

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WA Lege Day 54: Time is running out

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…

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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010


WA Lege Day 53: 2 'Philip Paul' bills pass

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…

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2010



The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.



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