OLYMPIA, Wash. -
Washington state Treasurer Jim McIntire is proposing lowering sales and property tax rates and creating a state an income tax to pay for education.
The legislature was ordered by the state supreme court to come up with a plan by the end of the current legislative session to fully fund K-12 education as mandated by the state constitution.
In broad strokes it would mean that a wage earner who is paid $1,000 a week would see about $50 a week in state taxes deducted from his/her paycheck. For someone who makes $52,000/yr that works out to $2,600/yr.
His proposal is one of a handful of ideas floating around Olympia about to meet the Supreme Court's order to fix the way the state pays for public schools.
Some of the other proposals included a suggested capital gains tax and a statewide property tax to replace local school levies.
McIntire's plan calls for a 5 percent personal income tax, but would eliminate the state property tax and reduce business taxes. He says the plan would raise billions of dollars.
State school superintendent Randy Dorn says he supports the proposal.
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