US: Washington state rally calls for tax hikes in budget plan

As Washington state budget writers work on proposals for balancing the budget, demonstrators Monday called for tax increases to be part of the plan.

Several hundred state employees, teachers, and parents rallied on the Capitol steps Monday afternoon.

Bronti Lemke told the crowd how state-funded child care helped her raise her son Ashton, while she was battling addiction and was in and out of county jails as a result.

“We were able to grow together. He got to start learning his social emotional learning where, well, I got to get my high school diploma, and now I’m getting my college associates degree,” said Lemke.

Sen. Noel Frame (D-Seattle) told the crowd she thought they would be “quite pleased” with the budget proposal, hinting tax increases on wealthy Washingtonians may be part of the plan.

Governor Bob Ferguson has the final say. He needs to sign the budget for it to become law and he has said taxes should be the state’s last resort.

Ferguson called on state agencies, except for K-12 and public safety agencies, to cut spending by 6%. He also said he was skeptical of a wealth tax proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee before he left office.

“We’re not going to tax our way out of this thing,” said Ferguson (D-Washington) at a press conference last month.

On the afternoon of March 18, the Washington Economic and Revenue Forecast Council is scheduled to approve the latest forecast to help lawmakers come up with budget proposals.

Democratic leaders said their first budget proposal would be released March 24.