From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement

Washington State income tax - very disappointing.
Even the liberal rag Seattle Times is not impressed.
("not a good look", "bait and switch".)
It will be against our state constitution, but the
Democrat controlled state Supreme Court will find
some way to twist words to approve it.
Many of our job producing productive entrepreneurs
will leave.

from https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/despite-happy-talk-about-k-12-wa-budget-hits-low-income-kids-again/

Despite happy talk about K-12, WA budget hits low-income kids. Again
March 11, 2026 at 7:00 am Updated March 11, 2026 at 7:00 am


For now, the budget to be signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson later this week
cuts money for early learning, K-12 and higher education, writes the
editorial board. Pictured are letters written by students at Lafayette Elementary School in West Seattle welcoming new Superintendent Ben
Shuldiner. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

By The Seattle Times editorial board
Whatever voters feel about a proposed income tax, they are likely to be disappointed by its effect on future state budgets. Beyond providing
free school meals, it wouldnrCOt necessarily improve education funding at all.

That amounts to a bait-and-switch when so much of the early happy talk
for a tax on incomes above $1 million promised that it would shore up WashingtonrCOs chronically lagging funds for K-12 education and early learning. In a February floor speech arguing for the income tax, Sen.
Jamie Pedersen said his rCLwhyrCY as a legislator was ensuring Washington
has rCLa fantastic, well-funded system of public schools in our state.rCY

Instead, most of the $3.5 billion anticipated from the income tax would
merely go toward maintaining the status quo and plugging a persistent
budget hole. Not a great look.

Before the HouserCOs marathon Monday-night-into-Tuesday debate over the
income tax, the bill had drawn criticism because it pledged only to rCLmaintain and preserverCY funding for K-12 education. Democratic House members did manage to squeeze in some new wording about the rCLintentrCY of this tax: to rCLincrease state funding for K-12 education in order to
improve outcomes for WashingtonrCOs studentsrCa,rCY it says.

Yes, thatrCOs an improvement. But an intent is not legally binding. More robust attempts to guarantee future funding for schools rCo including a Republican amendment that would have required half of income tax
revenues go toward public education rCo failed.

For now, the budget to be signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson later this week
cuts money for early learning, K-12 and higher education.

LetrCOs take them in order: Housed in K-12 buildings, the staterCOs
Transition to Kindergarten prepares 4-year-olds for school. This budget
shaves 25% of those slots, and the most pronounced effects will be felt
in communities east of the mountains, where there are few other options
for preschool.

One less-heralded benefit of Transition to Kindergarten is that it
allows parents to go to work because someone is caring for their kids rCo improving household incomes and contributing to the tax base. Not so
much under this budget.

The one-year supplemental spending plan also takes a blunt hatchet to
Local Effort Assistance, which channels money toward property-poor
school districts. While the removal of a levy cap last year freed
affluent areas to collect more from their homeowners, property-poor
districts rCo already behind rCo will now lag even further with an
anticipated $25 million to $59 million cut to their levy assistance.
That is unconscionable and, frankly, embarrassing.

This trim echoes through charter schools too. Categorically ineligible
for levy funding, charters rCo which educate 4,800 mostly low-income
public school students rCo had expected $7.5 million from the Legislature
to offset that inequity. But lawmakers appear poised to pull that money.
It means a 3% to 12% cut, charter school-by-charter school.

ItrCOs not only funding for studentsrCO early and middle years that will be slashed. Lawmakers plan to squeeze the last leg of a youthrCOs education journey with a $14 million cut to Running Start, the free program that
allows high school students to earn college credit. Specifically, the Legislature is eyeing the portion of Running Start funds that cover
summer courses. Nearly half of the kids who take them are low-income,
using those credits to get through college faster. But not this year.

Unless lawmakers demonstrate a genuine commitment to education, they
risk voters turning against their controversial income tax at the ballot
box.

The Seattle Times editorial board: members are editorial page editor
Kate Riley, Ryan Blethen, Melissa Davis, Josh Farley, Alex Fryer,
Claudia Rowe, Carlton Winfrey, Frank A. Blethen (emeritus) and William
K. Blethen (emeritus).
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