Resolution on Eliminating Special Corporate Tax Breaks - Passed by 32nd Dist Democrats

Last Night the 32nd District Democrats passed a brave resolution. 

It was written by Elaine Phelps who is a member of their Executive Committee. The resolution passed unanimously and was written to address the problems faced by this state to address the budget problems.
The State House, Senate and Governor are caught between huge budget gaps and the fact that many corporate entities receive tax incentives.

The resolution supports the specific goal of funding K-3 Education and Class Size Reduction.

RESOLUTION ON ELIMINATING CERTAIN WASHINGTON STATE

SPECIAL CORPORATE TAX REDUCTIONS

WHEREAS the Constitution of the State of Washington states: Article 2, Legislative Department, Section 9 Rules of Procedure,  “Each house may determine the rules of its own proceedings”; and

WHEREAS the Constitution of the State of Washington states:  Article 2, Legislative Department, Section 22 Passage of Bills  “No bill shall become a law unless on its final passage the vote be taken by yeas and nays, the names of the members voting for and against the same be entered on the journal of each house, and a majority of the members elected to each house be recorded thereon as voting in its favor.” [emphasis added]; and

WHEREAS the Constitution of the State of Washington states:  Article 7, Revenue and Taxation, Section 1 Taxation:  "The power of taxation shall never be suspended, surrendered or contracted away"; and

WHEREAS the Constitution of the State of Washington cannot be amended by initiative, Article 23, Amendments; and 

WHEREAS I-1053 contravenes Articles 2, 7 and 23 of the Constitution cited above; and

WHEREAS I-1053 impairs the authority and functioning of the Washington State Legislature to fulfill its Constitutional responsibilities; and

WHEREAS  our State is already 49^th in the nation in school funding as a percent of income; and

WHEREAS the Constitution of the State of Washington states: Article IX, Education, Section 1 Preamble, “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex” ; and

WHEREAS school funding in our state has already been cut by more than $2 billion in the past two years while not a penny has been cut in tax breaks for wealthy corporations; and

WHEREAS continuing to give hundreds of millions of dollars in tax exemptions to wealthy corporations while failing to pay $420 million in “Basic Education” funding to schools is contrary to our State constitution; now

THEREFORE be it resolved that, because I-1053 violates on its face Articles 2, 7 and 23 of the Washington State Constitution, and because adhering to the  provisions of I-1053 impedes the ability of the Washington State Legislature to function as the Constitution  specifies, most particularly in its “paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders” of Article 9, there is no valid legal reason for the Washington State Legislature to abide by the provisions of I-1053 until the constitutionality of I-1053 is determined by the Washington State Supreme Court; and

THEREFORE be it further resolved that the members of the Washington State Legislature be urged to treat I-1053 as not applying to the restoration of normal tax rates to those entities that have been granted special tax reductions in the past; and

THEREFORE be it further resolved that the members of the Washington State Legislature be urged to review and remove all special corporate tax reductions previously granted for wealthy corporations earning more than one billion dollars per year that are no longer proper or appropriate in the current economic circumstances; and

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be submitted to the WSDCC for its consideration and adoption at its April 29, 2011 meeting in Wenatchee; and

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that, upon its adoption by the WSDCC this Resolution be sent by the WSDCC to every member of the Democratic caucuses of the Washington State Legislature.  _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Adopted by the 32^nd Legislative District Democratic Organization at its General Meeting on April 13, 2011.

Submitted to the WSDCC for consideration at its APRIL 30. 2011 meeting in Wenatchee, WA by the   

32^nd Legislative District Democratic Organization, on April 14, 2011