South Sound’s newest Democratic lawmaker from Tumwater is keeping up his drum beat for reforming the state’s tax system. Rep. Chris Reykdal won re-election running on tax reform and reaffirmed it today as a top priority in his first e-mail newsletter to 22nd district voters.
The governor isn’t too interested in tax increases and neither are minority Republicans. But Reykdal said lawmakers should consider closing tax breaks side by side with their consideration of spending cuts to close a $5 billion budget gap.
An excerpt of his message:
This Legislative Session is going to test our true commitment to our core values. This is the session where we need to decide what kind of state we want Washington to be as we emerge from the lingering recession. We have a moral obligation to our children, our seniors, and our environment. As legislators come back to town, you will see them in our restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, and more. I hope you will sincerely thank them (both parties and both chambers) for their service. I also hope you will make very clear that a comprehensive examination of our state budget includes our spending AND our revenue. If we in the 22nd LD have one message, I hope it will be PUT EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE including our tax code – it is unfair, inadequate, and volatile and we must do better!