Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown Holds A News Conference In Her Office On Monday
The Governor's seven day deadline has passed. And still no deal between majority Democrats in the Washington state House and Senate. They're deadlocked over what taxes to raise in order to rebalance the budget. “A fundamental disagreement.” That's how one Washington lawmaker describes the split between the House and Senate over whether to raise the state sales tax. The House says no, the Senate yes and there's no obvious middle-ground. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown says her members have problems with several provisions in the House tax plan. For example: ending the sales tax exemption for Oregon and Idaho shoppers who cross the border into Washington.“It's important for border communities that we have an ability to bring in people from other states who don't have a sales tax and they know that they can shop in our communities and have that extra little bonus," she said.Brown says the sales tax exemption is good for border towns like Spokane – where she's from - and Vancouver, Washington on the Oregon border. But House Democrats say they don't have the votes for the Senate's 0.2% sales tax increase. Meanwhile House Republican Leader Richard DeBolt says Democrats should call a time out and go home until they can find agreement on a tax and budget plan. I'm Austin Jenkins in Olympia.
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