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By Roger Harnack
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Puget Sound Democrats ask high court to hear income tax case

Western Washington lawmakers back Seattle's effort to overturn prohibition on income taxes

 

Last updated 1/13/2020 at 4:48pm



OLYMPIA – Several Western Washington lawmakers on Monday asked the state Supreme Court to overturn case law and allow an income tax to be imposed statewide.

Fifteen Democrats partnered to file a brief asking for the high court to redefine income tax as justices are in the midst of an appeal by the City of Seattle to overturn previous court decisions and exhisting prohibitions on income taxes.

The prohibition is codified in state law and enshrined in the state Constitution.

The Democrats pushing for an income tax in the court filing are Sens. Lisa Wellman of Mercer Island, Sam Hunt of Olympia, Marko Liias of Lynnwood, Liz Lovelett of Anacortes, and Rebecca Saldana, Joe Nguyen and Bob Hasegawa, all of Seattle; and Reps. Beth Doglio and Laurie Dolan of Olympia, Mia Gregerson of SeaTac, and Noel Frame, Nicole Macri, Gerry Pollet, Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon, all of Seattle.


The filing asks the high court to accept the appeal and overturn about 80 years of case law, court decisions, state law and the state Constitution.

It filing comes as the city of Seattle is appealing a previous court decision that it's attempt to implement a municipal income tax is unconstitutional.

It also comes as cities are lining up to reject income taxes.

The cities of Spokane, Spokane Valley and Granger have all codified bans on local income taxes in recent months.

Author Bio

Roger Harnack, Owner/Publisher

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Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, columnist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.

 

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