Washington House Democrats

House committee will hold hearing Friday on sales-tax holiday

Moeller: 'People's tax break' would send help to average families

January 10, 2007

OLYMPIA -- The state House Finance Committee this Friday morning, Jan. 12, will take a first look at a Clark County lawmaker's plan that he maintains will help average Washington families.

State Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, said his measure (House Bill 1012) proposes a sales-and-use-tax holiday for the second weekend every August.

"This is a people's tax break," Moeller emphasized. "My idea is to provide a genuine and reliable tax break for average middle-class people. These are the thousands of Washington families who do the best they can each August to buy school-supplies and still make ends meet before the start of every school year."

The third-term lawmaker said the legislation "is an especially appropriate idea for our border counties.

"Our businesses in Clark County, for example, lose millions of dollars a year in revenue to their Oregon competitors."

Businesses in Spokane and other parts of eastern Washington bordering Idaho face a situation similar to Southwest Washington's predicament.

"At least a dozen other states already provide their citizens and businesses a break from the sales tax for a couple days a year -- usually in August to help back-to-school shoppers."

The sales-tax holiday here in the Evergreen State would apply to clothing, shoes, school-supplies, textbooks, computers and other school-related items. Moeller's proposal would extend the tax break to clothing of no more than $150 an item, computers of no more than $2,000 each, and school-supplies of no more than $150 apiece.

Moeller has met with small businesses and other retailers, as well as city and county officials to develop the legislation.

The Finance Committee meets at 8 o'clock this Friday morning in House Hearing Room C.

Radio and TV News Directors: To obtain broadcast-quality audio on this issue, or to arrange for TV or radio interviews, please contact Dan Frizzell, House Democratic Caucus broadcast coordinator, at frizzell.dan@leg.wa.gov or (360) 786-7208.