Issue Position: Revenue Reform

Issue Position

I believe that we need a tax system that is fair, adequate and stable. Washington State's current tax base relies too heavily on regressive, unreliable taxes, and I am a leader in promoting systemic reform. I was the prime sponsor of the only loophole closure bill that made it to the House floor in 2011, dedicating funds for education. While that bill did not get the 2/3 majority required by I-1053, the bill did become the basis for a constitutional challenge to the initiative. And, in late 2013, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that the 2/3 majority required by I-1053 was unconstitutional. In 2012 and 2014, I sponsored a capital gains tax bill that would increase the adequacy and fairness of Washington's tax system. It will take committed legislators and citizens some time to replace our regressive system with a progressive tax system, however, I will devote my entire legislative career to making this happen.

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