Republican leaders in Olympia protest property tax proposal
Negotiations over a new Washington state budget are going on behind closed doors in Olympia.
But Senate Republicans are waging a public campaign against one of the taxes Democrats have proposed to balance the budget.
It would liberalize the rules that determine how local governments can increase property taxes. The current law allows local governments to raise taxes by one percent each year without voter approval, up to six percent with a public vote.
The proposal floated by Senate Democrats would allow annual increases based on the rate of inflation plus the percentage of population growth without a vote of the people.
Senate Republican Leader John Braun says the annual inflation + growth average over the last 10 years is four-and-a-half percent, higher in years when inflation is greater.
“That may not sound like a lot, going from one percent up to four-and-a-half percent, but when you have the compounding that happens year-after-year, it turns into a very large tax for voters across the state.”
Braun says that would affect the vast majority of people in the state, a point he and his colleagues have been making since Democrats proposed the tax.
“The feedback we’ve gotten has been overwhelmingly negative, concerned that it’s going to hurt their ability to afford to live here in the state. In fact, just as a side note, we have always heard in committee, we had almost 44,000 people sign in against the bill," he said.
The majority Democrats have proposed several revenue-related ideas as a way to balance the next budget. They’re also proposing new taxes on stocks and bonds for the state’s wealthiest residents, a payroll tax and half-percent decrease in the state sales tax.
Spokane attorney weighs in on legality of IRS cooperation with ICE
The Internal Revenue Service says it will help the Trump administration by sharing immigrants’ tax information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Since President Donald Trump’s first presidency, he has reiterated his promise of mass deportations. Having the IRS agree to sharing immigrants' tax information continues to align with his promise.
But Hector Quiroga, attorney at Quiroga Law Office in Spokane, said this decision raises an important question: Is immigration a criminal issue or a civil issue?
"If we are talking about crimes, sure they can definitely access the IRS," he told SPR News. "If they are not crimes, then we are now looking at how the government is going to get past this very well stated confidentiality requirement within the IRS Code, and that's what is being challenged right now."
He said if there is no crime, there is no need for the government to access immigrants' tax information.
According to data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, immigrants nationwide contribute close to $26 billion in revenue into the Social Security trust fund, $6 billion a year toward funding Medicare and close to $2 billion into the national unemployment insurance system — none of which they can benefit from.
In Washington state, the state and local tax contribution by the undocumented immigrant population in 2022 was estimated to be nearly a billion dollars.
Quiroga has counseled people with questions to reach out to local nonprofits.
Idaho governor signs foster care bill
Idaho Governor Brad Little has signed into law a bill that provides more money to improve the state’s foster care system.
Little’s office said the legislature is allocating $23 million to help the Department of Health and Welfare hire 63 new workers.
Their job will be to identify at-risk children and provide the support they need to stay in their homes so they don’t need foster care placements.
For the kids who are removed from their homes, the governor said the state will expand the number and quality of foster care options. He said it will also bring back Idaho children who have been placed in out-of-state settings.
HRT access bill advances in WA legislature
A bill increasing access to prescription hormone therapy in Washington is a step closer to passage.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee Tuesday voted to advance a measure that guarantees insurance companies cover 12 months of prescription hormone therapy.
Supporters say it decreases barriers to treatment for conditions like menopause, gender dysphoria, or low testosterone.
The bill would add to Washington’s existing protections and resources for transgender individuals.
Multiple executive orders from the Trump Administration target the trans community, including access to gender-affirming health care.
The bill has already passed the House and the Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee. It now moves to the Senate Rules Committee for a third hearing.
Othello partnership aims to develop facilities for burgeoning youth population
Community leaders in Othello have developed a partnership to build new facilities for the city.
It’s a three-party agreement that includes the city, its school district and an agricultural company.
Parts of the agreement include the sale and trade of several land parcels for a new school, a dog shelter and dog park.
Othello Mayor Shawn Logan says the initiative is to help continue the growth of the community to benefit its large youth population.
"We realize we are a young community. We have a lot of families, a lot of kids," he said. "Forty percent of our population is under the age of 18, and our average age in Othello is 25, if you can believe that — but it's all true.”
In another part of the pact, the owners of Terra Gold Farms are selling 77 acres of land to the city of Othello for four-point-two million dollars.
It will serve as the site of a new water treatment facility. The city council approved the purchase last month [MARCH].
The property once belonged to the Othello School District, before it traded the land to the Ochoa family, the owners of Terra Gold Farms, for another piece of property.
The Ochoas then sold the property to the city of Othello.
Rural Washington fire districts get hand-me-down fire engines
A dozen eastern Washington fire districts are receiving gifts from the state Department of Natural Resources.
The agency say it is transferring 15 surplus fire engines to rural districts. Three other districts will receive the equipment they need to turn their own rigs into wildfire-ready vehicles.
It’s the continuation of a program that began eight years ago when the legislature authorized the Department of Natural Resources to turn over its surplus fire trucks at no cost.
Agency with gifted trucks include Spokane Fire District 12, the Northport City Fire Department and rural districts in Stevens, Lincoln, Ferry, Okanogan and Grant counties.
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Reporting contributed by Doug Nadvornick, Monica Carrillo-Casas and Owen Henderson.