Opinion: For Valentine’s Day, the legislature wants to tell you how much it loves your tax dollars

Date: Friday, February 10, 2023

Four of the bill hearings scheduled on February 14 in the Washington State Legislature involve new ways for your taxes to go up

Donald Kimball
Washington Policy Center

When it comes to money, it looks like the state legislative session is taking a note from comedian Jackie Mason, who admitted, “Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money.” And there is a LOT of that kind of love in the air around the Capitol lately!

As we approach Valentine’s Day, the holiday of romance, what better way for the legislature to show its affections than by spending this Valentine’s Day dreaming up ways to take more of our money into their hands.

Four of the bill hearings scheduled on February 14 involve new ways for your taxes to go up. The bills include an increase in local property taxes, new wealth taxes, removing restrictions on property taxes, and even an increase in the death tax.

With all these potential increases on the horizon, you might have to opt for the single rose and fun-sized chocolate box this year for that special someone. At least you can take solace in the fact that since true love is all about sacrifice, Olympia is poised to make you become a more loving person this Valentine’s Day.

Four bills scheduled for a Valentine’s Day hearing:

Donald Kimball is the communications manager, free markets destroy lead and tech exchange editor at the Washington Policy Center.