Senator calls budget plan war on agriculture
Washington Ag Today February 25, 2010 The supplemental budget plan unveiled by Senate Democrats this week would resume the sales tax on trade-ins. That means the trade in value of a truck, tractor or combine would no longer be exempt from the state sales tax. The sales tax itself would be raised three-tenths of a percent until 2013. Additionally the budget plan would also limit the sales tax exemption on fertilizer and crop protection chemicals to only organic products. The Ranking Republican on the Senate Agriculture and Rural Economic Development Committee, Mark Schoesler of Ritzville, calls the Democrats plan a war on agriculture. Schoesler: “I think we get the worst of all worlds. We have the cuts that nobody likes but we also take a bit hit on our primary industry, agriculture. We see more taxes and we don‘t even see fair funding. This taxes agriculture then even takes away the money from the showcase of our 39 counties, the state fairs and the youth shows associated with them. This is an assault on agriculture and the economy.” Schoesler said limiting the tax exemption for sprays and fertilizers to organic products amounts to a “sin tax” on those who do not farm organically. That’s most of the state’s farmers. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown called the budget a moral document that is balanced and responsible. Hearings on the Senate budget plan and tax bills were held yesterday by the Ways and Means Committee, on which Schoesler also serves. He says votes on the tax bills could come today. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network. ?
