OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The freshman Democrats in the Washington House have introduced a proposal to end a pair of tax breaks worth about $170 million to go toward K-3 education reforms.
The bill would close a business and occupation tax exemption for corporate banks and a sales tax exemption for out-of-state shoppers.
Supporters say this would raise $170.3 million in the next two years that could pay for education reforms that are currently on hold due to the state’s $5 billion budget deficit.
Under Washington law, tax-related measures must be approved by a two-thirds vote in the Legislature. Democrats hope to garner bipartisan support from their Republican counterparts.
The proposal comes after several days of demonstrations against cuts to social services where thousands of protesters called for an end to corporate tax exemptions.
