H-2186.1  _______________________________________________

               SUBSTITUTE HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4010

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By House Committee on Finance (originally sponsored by Representatives Dunn, Fromhold, Pennington, Ogden, Hatfield, Mielke, Boldt and Grant)

Read first time 03/07/2001.  Referred to Committee on .

Requesting fair tax treatment of Washington residents working in Oregon.

    TO THE HONORABLE JOHN KITZHABER, GOVERNOR OF OREGON, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OREGON, AND TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF OREGON:

    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, Many residents of the State of Washington work at jobs located in Oregon; and

    WHEREAS, These workers contribute significantly to the vitality of the Oregon economy; and

    WHEREAS, The states of Washington and Oregon have chosen greatly different tax systems whereby Oregon taxes income and Washington taxes consumption; and

    WHEREAS, Washington residents pay over one hundred million dollars in income tax to Oregon; and

    WHEREAS, Clark County Washington residents pay more in personal income tax to Oregon than do the residents of twenty-nine Oregon counties; and

    WHEREAS, Washington residents working in Oregon must pay taxes to two states:  Income taxes to Oregon and sales taxes to Washington; and

    WHEREAS, The amount of income taxes paid by Washington residents to Oregon greatly exceeds the cost of public services they receive from Oregon;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully urge the Legislature of the State of Oregon to ensure fair tax treatment of Washington residents working in Oregon by reducing the Oregon income tax to a level commensurate with services received by these Washington residents.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington Legislature again reiterates that Clark County residents voted by over seventy percent to reject a light rail plan from Portland to Vancouver; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington Legislature believes that I-5 on the Oregon side of the Columbia River needs to be widened; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington Legislature encourages Oregon legislators to meet with Washington legislators at the annual meeting of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable John Kitzhaber, Governor of the State of Oregon, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the State of Oregon, and each member of the Legislature of the State of Oregon.

                            --- END ---