Washington State Reps. Brandon Vick, left, and Larry Hoff, right, speak to The Reflector as part of a cross-county tour to visit with local media June 14, 2019.
North County’s state House of Representatives delegation is throwing their support behind a Republican-backed tax relief plan proponents hope would benefit Washington families to the tune of $1 billion.
Introduced by Rep. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, House Bill 2946 follows a state revenue forecast that showed a $2.4 billion budget surplus, a release from the Washington State House Republicans stated.
The legislation would factor in the voter-approved Initiative 976 which limited car tab fees to $30 “while ensuring stable funding for roads and transit,” the release stated. The bill also includes language to eliminate sales tax on prepared food items sold at grocery stores and on other items such as feminine hygiene products, breast pumps and diapers.
Stokesbary, the House Republican budget lead, has said that the tax cuts in the bill would provide $1 billion of relief, a number mentioned in the release.
Eighteenth Legislative District Representatives Larry Hoff and Brandon Vick, both Vancouver Republicans, issued a joint statement with regard to the legislation, pointing to their constituents’ votes on Initiative 976 and others regarding taxes as signals they wanted relief.
“For the majority party to not have a plan to implement $30 car tabs, and for the first bill signed into law by the governor this session to be a tax increase, truly shows how out of touch they are,” the joint statement read. “We are committed, as are our House Republican colleagues, to providing significant tax relief for Washingtonians and working to alleviate the financial burden brought on by the majority's policies.”
The legislation wouldn’t be the only effort made by the lawmaking duo on tax relief, as their statement read they would continue to push for state property tax reduction and prohibition on local income taxes.
Vick and Hoff aren’t the only North County lawmakers supporting the bill, as fellow Vancouver Republicans Vicki Kraft and Paul Harris are co-sponsors, as are Reps. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, and Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, according to the Washington State Legislature website.
A statement from Stokesbary was also included in the release, where he reiterated House Republicans’ intent on implementing $30 car tabs.
“Unfortunately, the majority party has not shown any willingness to uphold the clear will of the voters,” Stokesbary stated, adding that the legislation “provides a path forward to implement $30 car tabs without compromising transportation projects.”
The bill is currently scheduled for a hearing in the House Committee on Transportation on Saturday.
