Initiative 605 – latest version of Tax Loophole Reform Initiative

The latest version of the Tax Loophole Reform Initiative is Initiative 605.  It has now received a ballot title and summary. Here is the information from the Washington State Secretary of State’s website. We will be appealing the ballot title … Continue reading

Tax Loophole Reform Initiative to Washington State Legislature Filed

Tax Sanity ( www.taxsanity.org )  on May 17, 2013 filed an Initiative to the Legislature to address the issue of Tax Loophole Reform. As noted in an article in Crossscut entitled Tax exemptions are starting to draw an uncomfortable spotlight: … Continue reading

Time for Citizens to Get Serious About Closing Tax Loopholes
avatar

The Washington Wire has printed a story entitled “Will this finally be the Year for a Loophole Initiative?” The story is about  Tax Sanity’s efforts  for tax loophole reform in Washington State –  as Eric Smith notes, year after year … Continue reading

Pushing Back Against Eyman’s Latest Initiative Attacks on the People’s Legislature

Libertarian Tim Eyman supposedly filed his 51st initiative this year with the Washington Secretary of State. In a press conference held in the morning at the Washington State Secretary of State’s Office he claimed that this is the “one” he … Continue reading

Eyman’s Proposed Initiative Continues his Libertarian Attack on State Government

Tim Eyman’s latest proposed initiative continues his right wing libertarian approach to try to shut down state government.  He is proposing to limit tax increases to one year and push for repeated votes at tax payer expense for  minority rule … Continue reading

Tax Expenditures Need to Become Part of the State Budget

Tax expenditures are basically off budget spending. As one Washington State Legislator recently said, they are “gifts” of public money. They don’t have to be scrutinized the same as other state expenditures are when the biennial state budget is proposed … Continue reading

What is a Tax Expenditure?

It is becoming more common these days to define a tax exemption, subsidy, loophole or exclusion as a tax expenditure. That can seem a little confusing until you understand what is happening. Catherine Rampell in an article entitled Tax Breaks: A … Continue reading

Need to Update RCW’s to Conform to Washington Supreme Court Decision on I-1053 and I-1185

The following letter was sent today to Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson: Dear Attorney General Ferguson:  I am wondering what the procedure is to have the RCW’s changed when the Washington State Supreme Court renders a decision declaring a … Continue reading

Initiative Filed for Tax Loophole Reform

Taxpayers Fiscal Reform Act – 2013 Changes are needed in the ability of the Washington State Legislature to fund basic services like education and healthcare. The current state budget problems are made more difficult by the lack of flexibility of … Continue reading