Evergreen Reporter

Republican State House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox discussed the Democrats’ tax increase proposals and other bills that he said: "will make lives much more expensive and often incorporate ideas that are not very efficient." 

Some of the proposals he identified are raising carbon and gas taxes.

Wilcox stated that “there is a strong desire to make things that contain carbon, especially petroleum, much more expensive.” He also said that there is currently discussion in both the House and Senate concerning a new gas tax that could go as high as 18 cents per gallon.

He also mentioned an income tax on capital gains which he said: “has been proven to be unconstitutional many times in Washington.”

“It’s been voted down quite a few times but this is an idea that is coming back to us every year and I think it is going to get a pretty major push from the majority this time.”

Wilcox also spoke of a proposed mandate that would prohibit the use of natural gas in many residential buildings in the future. This, he said, “removes an option that is economical and very effective for people in many parts of their lives at home, and seems totally excessive. It also ends thousands of jobs in Washington, for a benefit that really doesn’t make a difference.”

“We don’t need to raise costs or taxes on any family or business right now,” Wilcox said.