Our statement on start of 2012 Legislative Session

Our Executive Director Remy Trupin, released the following statement this morning. “As legislators today convene for the start of the 2012 session, they must take bold, unprecedented action to get our economy back on track.

A piecemeal, short-sighted approach to the revenue crisis will not help struggling families, older adults, or unemployed workers. It is vital that this legislative session result in short-term revenue to stave off deeper cuts, coupled with long-term structural changes to our fiscal policy.

We must raise revenue now by temporarily increasing the state sales tax and eliminating unproductive tax breaks. Smart, systemic change to our revenue structure can be accomplished through a new tax on capital gains, by strengthening our Rainy Day Fund, reducing taxes for lower and middle income families through the Working Families Tax Rebate, and bringing tax breaks in-line with the rest of the budget by requiring regular reauthorization and measurement.

Now is the time to make state investments that ignite the economy, put people back to work, and provide opportunities for all Washingtonians to prosper.”

Read our policy brief on a capital gains tax here.

Explore our comprehensive vision for the state and solutions to get us there in our Framework for Prosperity.