- Click for taxes!
Overall, not a whole lot of difference from the senate budget proposal.
But, for those keeping track of exactly who's asking for exactly what:
In order to deal with the state's $2.8 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Gregoire wants $600 million in new taxes, the state senate wants $900 million in new taxes, and the state house now wants $857 million in new taxes.
All three of those plans mix serious cuts to state services, grants from the federal government, and "rainy day fund" money in with their proposed tax increases in order to get to the magic $2.8 billion number. (The house plan, however, fails to specify which taxes it would raise in order to generate that $857 million in new revenue.)
In a statement accompanying the house plan, Rep. Pat Sullivan (D-47) explained that after slashing $3.2 billion last year with an all-cuts budget, the choice is now between raising taxes or jettisoning essential services:
We went line-by-line in our budget and asked the tough questions about what is necessary and what we can do without. This isnât about trimming fat anymore. Providing our children a quality education that readies them for a good job means finding the money for financial aid and smaller classrooms. Keeping people out of costly emergency rooms means funding Basic Health and Apple Health for Kids.
Go line-by-line through the house budget rollout here.
