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Spin Control archive for March 6, 2010

SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010

WA Lege Day 55: Tax debate ends, no vote on bill

OLYMPIA -- The Senate recessed Saturday afternoon without voting on their major tax package, after more than four hours of contentious, and occasionally heated debate..Democrats were one vote shy of the constitutional majority they need to pass the bill because one member Sen. Paull Shin,…

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