OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Democrats have proposed several bills to end tax exemptions and dedicate the resulting revenue to social services, which have been hard-hit by budget cuts.
On Thursday, a group of Senate Democrats presented about a dozen proposals to end tax breaks, ranging from exemptions for corporate banks to breaks for livestock owners who purchase bedding for chicken coops.
But after Initiative 1053 passed last fall, lawmakers must come up with a two-thirds supermajority vote in both houses to create new taxes or make any changes to current tax preferences. The Democrats noted this has made it nearly impossible to close tax loopholes and raise revenue to save much-needed programs.
The bills come a week after thousands of protesters called for legislators to close corporate tax breaks instead of cutting services.
