A record surplus and no tax relief in Democratic budget proposal? Republican ‘Safe Washington’ plan offers hope

House and Senate Republicans say they’re mystified that a new supplemental operating budget proposed by House Democrats this week provides no meaningful tax relief when the state is sitting on a record surplus of money. There’s still hope, however.

The new supplemental operating budget proposal would increase spending by more than six-billion dollars. But out of the total 65-billion-dollar budget proposal, House Republican Budget Leader Drew Stokesbary says the only tax relief in the Democratic proposal is a one-time three-day sales tax holiday.

“So they have a 13-billion-dollar surplus, at a time when inflation is seven-point-six-percent – the highest in 40 years, which is longer than I’ve been alive – to not have any tax relief for consumers to try to ease the economic pain or anxiety, I think is a real missed opportunity.”

Stokesbary’s own proposal, the “Safe Washington” budget framework, would cut the state sales tax by one percent, reduce business and occupation taxes on manufacturing, timber, and food processors, deliver billions of dollars in funding for transportation projects, and still leave a two-billion-dollar surplus.

“It shows what Republicans have been talking about all session long. That with such a big surplus, we can do a lot of really big things and still have plenty of money.”