Thanks to the efforts of Senate Republicans, college students and their families will see tuition reduced by 5 percent across the board this fall, and by even more in 2016, for a total 15 percent reduction at UW and WSU and a total 20 percent at Eastern, Western, Central and Evergreen. Our students at community and technical schools will also see a 5 percent reduction immediately.
More than 200,000 students will benefit from tuition relief that is equivalent to a quarter-billion dollar tax cut for middle income families.
…I was recently asked by Human Life Washington to assess the 2015 legislative session from a pro-life perspective, and why we, as defenders of innocent human life, should be hopeful about the future. Let me also share it with you.
…This week, I returned from the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council — a gathering of lawmakers and policy experts from across the country. One of the highlights of the conference was the tax-policy discussion, featuring the Heritage Foundation’s Stephen Moore. In the report, and his comments, Moore pointed out that employers often vote with their feet, moving their businesses, and the jobs they create, to lower-tax states. It’s a good reminder for Washington lawmakers. Our state ranks 35 out of 50 in economic outlook in Moore’s study. But one of the economic advantages our state does offer is its lack of a state income tax. That’s why it is so important that we continue to resist efforts by some in Olympia to sneak such a tax in through the back door.