WA House Republicans unveil budget proposal
By Terry Murry on Thursday, February 18th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
OLYMPIA – Republicans in the Washington House of Representatives unveiled their proposed operating budget proposal. They say it provides for working families, growing students, vulnerable populations, and small businesses with no cuts to vital services and no new taxes.
Republican leaders say their plan includes just over $6 billion in savings. Many of those savings were actually recommended by state agencies as part of a budget evaluation exercise directed by Gov. Jay Inslee last year.
The spending plan appropriates $1.8 billion from the state’s rainy day fund to pay for one-time COVID-related relief and expenses. It includes a tax credit for working families, additional money for schools and student s who have fallen behind academically, and tax relief for hard-hit businesses like restaurants.
“Unlike the governor’s plan, it doesn’t raise taxes on anything or anybody,” Rep. Drew Stokesbary, the House Republican budget leader from Auburn said. “In fact, it cuts taxes a little bit. It cuts taxes for some of the businesses that were hardest hit by the shutdowns and it reduces sales tax on some basic household necessities. So, we fund the exact same important programs as the governor, we fund additional programs, and we do it by cutting taxes rather than raising taxes.”
The budget includes funding for childcare, foster care, rental assistance, charter schools, broadband access, addressing the issue of homelessness, forest management, and reopening schools and the economy.
