“This is the action the American people have been waiting for,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “This addresses the problems of today – high health care costs and overall inflation – as well as investments in our energy security for the future.”
Tag: Fiscal Responsibility
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
Washingtonians remain supportive of a capital gains tax on the wealthy, despite right wing efforts to overturn ESSB 5096
56% of 1,039 Washington voters interviewed from June 1st-2nd, 2022 expressed support for levying a capital gains tax on the wealthy after hearing a selection of arguments for and against it, while 37% expressed opposition. 7% were not sure.
Posted inElections
Big money is flowing into a right wing ballot campaign to repeal state capital gains tax
The committee, helmed by longtime Republican operative J. Vander Stoep, has not disclosed its plans to the public, but its aim appears to be to qualify a measure to the November 2022 statewide ballot that would completely repeal ESSB 5096, the popular 2021 law that levied a capital gains tax on the wealthy to fund early learning, childcare, and K‑12 education.
Posted inPolicy Topics
A late winter thaw in Congress yields another long-haul win for Senator Patty Murray
Last week, Congress approved an omnibus budget bill, long-overdue legislation to rescue the Postal Service, and a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Posted inLitigation
Quinn plaintiffs obtain ruling striking down Washington’s capital gains tax on the wealthy
A Douglas County Superior Court judge has ruled that ESSB 5096 isn’t constitutional. That decision will be appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court. In the meantime, some on the right wing are clamoring for an initiative to overturn Washington’s new state capital gains tax in the court of public opinion… but NPI’s polling suggests voters wouldn’t be receptive.
Posted inLegislative Advocacy
NPI to Legislature: Washington State should levy a wealth tax on billionaire fortunes
Read NPI’s founder’s prepared testimony in support of raising funding for Washington’s essential public services by requiring billionaires to step up and invest in the state’s future.
Posted inLitigation
Lawsuits challenging Washington’s new state capital gains tax on the wealthy seek to re-rig our tax code in favor of the rich — indefinitely
Read NPI alum Patrick Stickney’s assessment of the legal challenge to ESSB 5096, the most important tax reform legislation passed in decades, which is being contested in court in a pair of cases known as Quinn et al v. State of Washington et al.
Posted inPolicy Topics
House of Representatives approves historic Build Back Better Act, sending it to the Senate
At 6:44 AM Pacific on November 19th, 2021, by a vote of 220–213, the House adopted H.R. 5376, known as the Build Back Better Act, after Biden’s campaign slogan, with all but one Democrat in favor and all Republicans opposed.
Posted inPolicy Topics
Lynnwood’s $40 city vehicle fee stays intact in victory for multimodal transportation
A Tim Eyman-backed attempt in the Snohomish County city of Lynnwood to repeal the city’s $40/year vehicle fee has been thwarted by a mayoral veto, leaving funding for vital multimodal transportation projects intact.
Posted inMedia & Culture
Yo, NYT! Washington’s tax code is definitely regressive, but the state’s Democratic leaders have actually been working on changing that
“Blue States, You’re the Problem” certainly has excellent production values and slick visuals. The discussion, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired. The opinion video by the New York Times’ Johnny Harris and Binyamin Appelbaum could have been so much better… deeper, richer, and more informative.
Posted inElections
Here’s what Washington voters said last spring when asked a neutral question about our new state capital gains tax on the wealthy
Tim Eyman claims that voter responses to his propaganda pieces demonstrate that voters don’t like Senate Bill 5096. But our polling, conducted according to the scientific method, shows the opposite.
Posted inPolicy Topics
NPI’s July 2021 survey of Seattle voters found deep support for JumpStart revenue plan
67% of Seattle voters support Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda’s JumpStart revenue ordinance, with 27% opposed and 6% not sure. That’s a margin of well over two-to-one.
Posted inAnnouncements
The Biden-Harris administration’s American Rescue Plan is popular with Washingtonians
60% of nine hundred and ninety two likely 2022 Washington State voters surveyed late last month by Public Policy Polling said they supported the American Rescue Plan, while 32% were opposed and 8% were not sure.
Posted inLitigation
Judge Mary Roberts: Seattle’s JumpStart revenue ordinance is legal and constitutional
The City of Seattle has the legal authority to levy an excise tax on annual payrolls of $7 million or higher with employees who make $150,000 or more annually, a King County Superior Court judge has ruled.