Blog

Repealing tax preferences is not a cure-all

Andrew Garber reports that Governor Inslee will propose “closing some tax loopholes” to fund education. (He has yet to announce which “loopholes” he’s talking about.) On TVW this morning, the governor said, I was very clear that the way we should move forward to fund our schools and improve our education is rather than from […]

With supermajority for taxes out, what's next?

I take a stab at answering that in my column today. The crux: After 20 years, voters understand how the supermajority requirement works. If they want it in the constitution, they first must elect a Legislature that will place it on the ballot. They should begin by making it an issue in the 2014 campaign. […]

Elway poll shows limited appetite for new transportation funding – the search continues

A new Elway Poll underscores the challenge facing legislators and the broad coalition working to fund essential transportation improvements in the state. The Seattle Times reports: A Stuart Elway poll of 412 registered voters found that 72 percent oppose a higher gas tax and 62 percent oppose an increase in the car tab. The poll has a margin […]

Taxing Tech: Seattle Times op-ed emphasizes benefits of tax incentives

Legislators wanting to exercise their new taxing authority by boosting tech taxes should first read an important commentary in today’s Seattle Times by Susan Sigl and Bryan Mistele. Sigl, head of the Washington Technology Industry Association, and Mistele, founder and CEO of INRIX, remind policymakers of the economic importance of the industry to the state […]

Reactions to state supreme court rejection of supermajority requirement

This morning’s supreme court ruling has prompted a host of first reactions. Gov. Jay Inslee likes the decision. The state Supreme Court did the right thing today in ruling that a supermajority requirement for ordinary legislation would alter our system of government. The supermajority requirement gave a legislative minority the power to squelch ideas even […]

State Supreme Court strikes down supermajority requirement for tax increases

On a 6-3 vote, the state Supreme Court ruled that the supermajority requirement for tax increases imposed by Initiative 1053 is unconsititional. Here’s the opinion and dissents. The decision has been highly anticipated. I expected they’d scrap it years ago, writing in a December 2007 column: …most members of the court, possibly all except Justices […]

Seattle life sciences cluster ranks tenth in the nation

Seattle Times business columnist Jon Talton reports on the continued strength of Seattle’s bio sciences cluster this morning. Well, I put that a bit more strongly than he did. Seattle was fortunate to have an established cluster, which was ranked No.  5 nationally in an influential 2004 report by the Milken Institute. How are we doing now? […]

Lower Business Costs, Better Education & Transportation = More Jobs

Gov. Inslee’s jobs plan, released last week, again highlights the state’s enduring problem: Too many people looking for work and not finding it. In my column, I lead with this: Nearly 17 percent of the state’s workforce — one in six of us — is either unemployed or underemployed. So much for the recovery. Nationally, […]

New Brief: Leveling the Playing Field with Tax Preferences

Many business tax preferences serve to normalize Washington’s tax structure by reducing distortions, offsetting disincentives, and avoiding pyramiding. This is important from the standpoint of good tax policy, as we outline in a new policy brief. We also discuss the high tech R&D tax credits in particular.

Washington imposes 2nd heaviest cell phone tax

The combined state-local tax on cell phone users in Washington is 18.62 percent. According to a new Tax Foundation study, that’s the second highest rate in the nation. Only Nebraska, at 18.67 percent, is higher. The weighted state-local across the country is 11.36 percent. The feds tack on another 5.82 percent. The Tax Foundation notes, […]