Rep. Orcutt’s statement on House Democrats’ attempts tonight to increase taxes

Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, released the following statement today regarding the House Democrats' attempt to raise taxes by over $800 million this year:

“Budget writers are admitting to failure by resorting to tax increases.

“After all the debate is over with, the final dollar amount represented by the House Democrats' tax increases is a number we simply can't afford.  Our economy can't sustain tax increases on families, consumers and employers.  It's the exact opposite direction we need to be heading.  We need to be implementing policies that help the private sector create jobs, not implementing policies that protect government bureaucracy.

“We've heard there will be some amendments to the bill tonight that will take out some of the original tax increase proposals.  That's because enough people in certain industries, like the janitorial sector, persuaded Democrat budget writers that a tax increase would be devastating for them.  Their ability to keep workers employed would be in jeopardy if a tax increase were placed on them.  I have to wonder, if they're going to take some of their initial tax increases off the table, shouldn't they take them all off?  Picking 'winners' and 'losers' when it comes to peoples' jobs is a poor way to govern and all of these will cost jobs.

“I'm also very concerned about the tax increases that will send consumers across the border into Oregon and Idaho for their purchases.  The elimination of the out-of-state sales tax exemption, combined with taxes on candy, bottled water and higher taxes on cigarettes, will be the death-knell of many small businesses in Southwest Washington.  We're hearing that employers are going to close their doors or move to other states because of these tax increases, period.

“I've been saying this from day one: you can't take more from people who have less.  Until budget writers admit that reality, tax increases are and will continue to be a shadow looming over the economic prosperity of our families, our employers and our state.”

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For more information, contact: Brendon Wold, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7698

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov