Majority Democrats in the Washington Legislature in Olympia are doubling down on their preference for raising taxes as the state budget battle heats up in the 2025 session.
KVI morning show host, John Carlson, calls the latest series of proposed tax hikes by Democrats, “the most radical tax policies that have ever seriously been proposed” in the Olympia Legislature. “The most radical proposals I have seen in my life have come out in the last 48 hours”, Carlson continues.
To hear Carlson’s dual interviews with State Senator, Chris Gildon (R-Puyallup) and former Republican State Senator, Joe Fain, click the play button below.
First, Carlson interviews current State Senator, Chris Gildon (R-Puyallup) who is the Republicans budget lead in the Senate. Then Carlson interviews former State Senator, Joe Fain, a Republican who represented the Covington area of Kent.
The tax hike proposals include a tripling of property taxes which are currently limited to a 1% annual increase after a statewide voter-approved initiative, a wealth tax–deceptively called a “financial tangibles tax”, removing a cap on employer payroll taxes, and a gas tax hike–which would be added to the already existing carbon fuel permit auction fee in the Climate Commitment Act that functions as a defacto gas (diesel, propane and natural gas) tax.
The John Carlson Show is heard weekday mornings from 6-9 on Talk Radio 570 KVI and 101.5 FM HD3.
