As Republicans warned, Washington state Democrats are taking advantage of the partisan and racist Supreme Court ruling redefining a capital gains tax as an excise tax. Democrats hope to tax specific job salaries at the behest of healthcare workers’ unions. But you’d be naïve to think they’ll stop there.
The so-called “excess compensation tax” comes from SB 5767, sponsored by State Senators Christine Rolfes and Emily Randall. It would pose a 7.5% “excise tax” on hospital administrator jobs that Democrats deem overpaid. The bill defines “excess compensation” as one that exceeds 10 times the average annual wage of workers statewide, as published by the Employment Security Department. The tax revenue would be used to “advance health equity” and fund abortion.
Since when is it the business of Democrats to determine what salaries are in excess? In excess of what? Some subjective number determined by a mix of independently wealthy lawmakers who know they can write themselves out of future taxes and middle-income activists who know they’ll never be subject to the tax? This is a blatant abuse of our system of government and a dramatic overreach. But don’t expect the current make-up of the State Supreme Court to intervene.
