Initiative 1098: Income Tax to Fund Education and Health Services

Contents

• What is the Initiative?
• Initiative Websites
• Information on Impacts of I-1098
• Debates on I-1098
• Constitutionality Issue
• Articles, Reports, Editorials, and Opinions

What is the Initiative?

This measure would establish a tax on "adjusted gross income" (as determined under the federal internal revenue code) above $200,000 for individuals and $400,000 for married couples or domestic partners filing jointly; reduce the limit on statewide property taxes by 20%; and increase the business and occupation tax credit to $4,800. The tax revenues would replace revenues lost from the reduced levy and increased credit; remaining revenues would be directed to education and health services.

• Full text of I-1098 ().
• Proposed Initiatives to the People: I-1098 - Ballot Measure Summary and Ballot Title, Secretary of State Website.
• 2010 Elections Votes Guide.
• Summary of Initiative 1098 () - Concerning establishing a state income tax and reducing other taxes, Washington State Senate Committee Services.

Initiative Websites

• Yes on Initiative 1098.
• No State Income Tax - Defeat 1098.
• Ballotpedia Wiki on I-1098 - Background, arguments for and against, donors, media editorial positions, polls, references.

Information on Impacts of I-1098

• Fiscal Impact for Initiative 1098 (), Washington State Office of Fiscal Management.
• 2010 Initiatives Could Impact Public Services, Washington State Budget and Policy Center - addresses six initiatives (See page 3 & 4).

Debates on I-1098

• I-1098 Video Debate on KUOW 94.9 FM, John Burbank, Economic Opportunity Institute (For) and Mat McIlwain, Madrona Venture Group (Against), July 21, 2010.
• Seattle Speaks: Income Tax in Washington State?, Seattle Channel in partnership with City Club and Town Hall, September 30, 2010.
• The debate over state income tax, TechFlash - Bill Gates, Sr., the case for I-1098 and Matt McIlwain, the case against I-1098.

Constitutionality Issue

• Washington State Income Tax - Again? (), by Hugh Spitzer for the University of Puget Sound Law Review [Vol. 16:515] - Argument for Constitutionality.
• Constitutionality of I-1098 (), by Philip A. Talmadge, for the Washington Policy Center, August 19, 2010 - Argument against Constitutionality.

Articles, Reports, Editorials, and Opinions

Editor's Note: These articles represent opinions and may contain factual errors.

• Washington Initiative 1098 - Tax Proposals Appearing on November Ballot, Perkins-Coie News/Blogs, September 13, 2010.
• Why I-1098 would be very bad news for Washington state, by Judith M. Runstad, Crosscut, September 25, 2010.
• Would a state income tax harm the economy? Far from proven, by Daniel Jack Chasan, Crosscut, April 2007.
• NPR Stream by Defeat 1098, Austin Jenkins, July 2, 2010.
• The Scoop on Initiative 1098, League of Education Voters (Video in support), July 26, 2010.
• Income tax measure: Is it about trust?, by Daniel Jack Chasan, September 10, 2010.
• Businesses divided over I-1098 income tax, Andrew Garber, Seattle Times, Local News, October 7, 2010.
• Initiative 1098 would put local Bartell Drug at serious disadvantage, Seattle Times Editorial/Opinion, September 7, 2010.
• Does I-1098 Penalize Small Business Owners for Reinvesting in Their Companies?, by Josh Feit, Publicola, September 6, 2010.
• Editorial Endorsement: Vote 'yes' on I-1098, Seattle P-I, September 7, 2010.
• An income tax to throw good money after bad, Tacoma News Tribune, September 24, 2010.
• Op-Ed: Yes on I-1098: Voters should pass tax reform proposal, by Marilyn Watkins, Columbian, September 12, 2010.
• Editorial: Income tax initiative dripping with flaws, The Spokesman Review (Spokane), September 26, 2010.
• Opinion: "Initiative 1098 Pro: Tax would provide needed school and health care funding," by Bill Gates. Sr. and Craig Cole, Bellingham Herald, September 18, 2010.
• Adding state income tax not worth the extra revenue, The Longview Daily News, July 7, 2010.
• Income Tax Initiative's Math Adds Up, by John Burbank, Everett Herald, September 1, 2010.
• Too good to be true - Income tax plan is discriminatory, Yakima-Herald Republic, April 27,2010.