Senate Democrat pits chickens against children

Washington Ag Today April 18, 2011 They may go no where but a group of Senate Democrats has proposed several bills that would reduce or eliminate certain tax breaks including some impacting agriculture or agribusiness. Senator Phil Rockerfeller said the Senate budget is based on the premise of shared sacrifice, but that sacrifice has not been shared by those who enjoy exemptions in the state tax system. He says one proposal would reduce the B&O tax preference currently enjoyed by many businesses. That would impact food processing ranging from vegetables and fruit, to wheat, splitting dry peas, to meat and dairy product processing.

Rockerfeller: “So we are not saying that we would take that away. We are saying let‘s reduce it to 75% of what currently have.”

Rockerfeller called that a haircut if you please.

Among the targets in a bill introduced by Senator Tracey Eide is the elimination of the tax exemption on chicken bedding.
 

Eide: “We don’t provide bedding for our children, yet we provide bedding for chickens.”

Eide’s bill would also eliminate the exemption for propane or natural gas to heat chicken houses. An exemption for semen for artificial insemination of livestock would also be eliminated.

The proposal of these Democrats includes sending a referendum to voters to decide whether or not closure of tax loopholes should count as raising taxes, which would require a two-thirds vote.

I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.