Senate approves expansion of low-income tax credit

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Senate has approved a bill that would expand a tax credit for low-income workers and families. The bill passed the Democratic-led chamber on a bipartisan 47-2 vote and now heads back to the House, which passed the bill last month but will need to take a final vote on whether or not to concur with changes made in the Senate. Under current law, the amount of the state benefit is 10 percent of a person’s credit from the federal program or $50, whichever is greater. Following an amendment accepted on the Senate floor, the proposed changes to the law replaces that with a base amount ranging from $300 to $1,200, depending on the number of children a taxpayer has.