25th District lawmakers to hold meeting June 27 at Puyallup fairgrounds
Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Chris Gildon’s subscribers June 22, 2023. To subscribe to Sen. Gildon’s e-newsletters, click here.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I want to invite you to a town hall meeting I will be hosting Tuesday evening with my House seatmates, Cyndy Jacobsen and Kelly Chambers. We’ll be discussing what happened during the 2023 legislative session, how it affects the 25th Legislative District, and what’s in store for us next year.
This was an unusually busy session, with big debates about law enforcement, drug laws, new home construction, Second Amendment restrictions and much more. At the same time, big tax increases previously passed by our colleagues are kicking in this year. A new income tax launched this year, as well as new energy policies that already have given Washington the highest gas prices in the country. A new payroll tax for long-term care starts July 1 (see below).
We’ll be talking about these and other issues, and we’re interested in hearing what you think. I hope you can join us Tuesday at the Puyallup fairgrounds. We look forward to seeing you!
25th Legislative District Town Hall Meeting
DATE: Tuesday, June 27
TIME: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Fred Oldfield Western Heritage and Art Center, Washington State Fairgrounds, Puyallup.
New payroll tax starts July 1 for long-term care
Starting July 1, most Washington workers will see a new deduction on their paychecks for a new state program providing long-term care insurance. This program is the first of its kind nationally – a trust fund that pays out based on your contributions. Although long-term care is an important need for our aging population, “going first” with a program like this one means there are still plenty of bugs.
For one thing, the maximum lifetime benefit of $36,500 will cover only a few months’ stay in a nursing home, and it is a poor substitute for more robust private insurance policies. If you move out of state, you can’t collect. These and other issues prompted our colleagues to delay this program for a year-and-a-half, yet some of its biggest weaknesses remain.
The tax is 58 cents for each $100 of income, but it is likely that this rate will increase as pressure mounts for a more generous benefits package. Two years ago, a half-million Washington residents voted “no, thank you” by purchasing private insurance policies, exempting them from this new requirement. The window to apply for exemptions has now closed. If you missed it, you will be paying this tax as long as you are employed in the state of Washington – at present, there is no way out.
Prospects for repeal are poor, and I am working with my fellow Republicans on legislation for next year to improve this program. We believe you should be able to opt out. If you remain, you deserve a better chance of collecting on your policy. Our colleagues missed an opportunity to work with the private sector to develop a better offering, and now the Legislature has a responsibility to fix this troubled program.
Washington fuel prices now the highest in the country
Remember when Gov. Jay Inslee promised us that new environmental schemes wouldn’t dramatically increase the price of gasoline? He said cap and trade and low carbon fuel standards would add just “pennies on the dollar” to the price at the pump. We didn’t believe it at the time, and the latest statistics from the American Automobile Association bear us out. Washington now has the most expensive gas in the country.
Six months after these programs launched, Washington gas prices have reached an average $4.91 a gallon. That’s 35 cents higher than Oregon, which is headed down Washington’s path, and 93 cents higher than Idaho, where no such programs are contemplated. The Inslee Administration is trying to blame oil companies for “gouging,” but the increase we have seen in Washington state is directly related to the cost of complying with these new state requirements, upwards of 45 cents a gallon.
In theory, these programs are supposed to reduce our state’s carbon emissions, but a slight reduction in Washington’s miniscule contribution to global greenhouse gases is unlikely to affect global warming. However, another goal of these programs was to make gasoline expensive, to promote electric cars – and there they appear to have succeeded. As the cost of transportation increases, and fuel costs are reflected in higher prices for food and everything transported by truck, we can say this program unfortunately is working exactly as intended.
Western states gas prices — June 20 — Source: AAA
1. Washington — $4.91/ gal.
2. California — $4.87
3. Hawaii — $4.73
4. Oregon — $4.56
5. Nevada — $4.27
6. Arizona — $4.14
7. Alaska — $4.08
8. Utah — $4.04
9. Idaho — $3.98
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Thanks for reading — it is an honor serving you!
Sincerely,
Sen. Chris Gildon, 25th Legislative District
Deputy Leader, Senate Republican Caucus
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Contact me!
During the interim, you can reach your 25th District lawmakers at our district office, 101 South Meridian, Suite 202, Puyallup, WA, 98371
PHONE: (253) 281-1746
E-MAIL: Chris.Gildon@leg.wa.gov
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 40425/ Olympia, WA 98504
LEAVE A MESSAGE ON THE LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE: 1-800-562-6000
NOTE: Written communications are subject to disclosure under the Washington Public Records Act.