S-1505               _______________________________________________

                                           SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 116

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Benitz, Metcalf and Johnson

Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Ways and Means.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, A strong and sharing family unit has historically been the cornerstone of our free and democratic society; and

          WHEREAS, It is a legitimate and necessary function of government to promote, whenever possible, the integrity of the family and to remove artificially imposed barriers to the contributions the family unit makes to the American Way of Life; and

          WHEREAS, There is an increasing number of families in which both parents are employed; and

          WHEREAS, Many children must find an alternative domicile for all or part of a school day because the working parents are unable to be at home;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress adopt a change in our nation's tax laws which would provide equal tax consideration to the parent who stays home with children and to the parent who works outside the home.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.