25th District Reps. Cyndy Jacobsen and Michael Keaton speak out against House-passed income tax: More “pie crust” promises are now a pattern
CONTACT: Rebecca Podszus, Public Information Officer | 360-786-7770
25th District Reps. Cyndy Jacobsen and Michael Keaton speak out against House-passed income tax: More “pie crust” promises are now a pattern
Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen, R-Puyallup, and Rep. Michael Keaton, R-South Hill, issued a joint statement after the House passed Senate Bill 6346, to enact Washington’s first income tax.
After a record-long 24½ hours of continuous debate on the House floor, both lawmakers voted against imposing a 9.9% tax on individuals and families. This tax currently exempts citizens with adjusted gross incomes under $1 million.
Reps. Keaton and Jacobsen released the following statement:
“This unconstitutional income tax is built on broken promises and economic loss.
“Our opposition is not about whether the wealthy ‘pay their fair share.’ It’s about our economy, about jobs, and about Washington families.
“It’s also about a pattern of state overspending despite surging revenue, and we have little doubt this tax-and-spend mentality will ultimately lead to an income tax on us all.
“State spending has more than doubled in the past decade, job growth is flat, and Washington now ranks as the 45th least-business-friendly state in the nation. We’re also the third-most-expensive state to live in.
“We can’t tax our way out of this problem.
“Washington used to be the envy of the world. It was a place where dreamers started businesses out of their garages that became multi-billion-dollar companies. It was a place known for making computers, coffee, and even rainy days cool.
“That Washington is sadly long gone.
“We were already witnessing major Washington corporations picking up stakes and taking jobs elsewhere. The former Starbucks CEO is now packing his bags for Florida, while the company is moving some Seattle jobs to Tennessee. This income tax will accelerate that trend. When job creators and innovators leave, all Washingtonians get hit by the economic landslide that follows, and all our taxes go up.
“This tax does nothing to fix our regressive tax code. Nearly all the billions brought in will be swept straight into the general fund with no assurances on how it will be spent, and there are no provisions to give meaningful tax relief to middle- or lower-income taxpayers. We repeatedly demanded that tax cuts be added to the bill to offset the tax hikes, but we were denied.
“We don’t believe this tax will stay limited to high earners. Majority party leaders have already signaled their intent to expand it in the future, just like they did with the capital gains and estate taxes.
“This bill also breaks the Legislature’s 2024 promise made by overwhelmingly adopting citizen-led Initiative 2111, which banned state and local personal income taxes.
“Yet here we are. Broken ‘pie crust’ promises are now a pattern.
“The next challenge will undoubtedly be on the unconstitutionality of this income tax, despite the state constitution requiring uniform property taxation, which the courts have long upheld.
“Lawmakers should not rush major tax changes during a short 60-day session. These significant changes deserve careful, deliberate consideration to make sure they get it right.
“If they don’t, they risk inflicting lasting damage on families, small businesses, and our economy.
“We will continue to fight, for more than 24 hours again if needed, to make Washington affordable, safe, and the best state in the union once more.”
