AN ACT Relating to creating the tax-me-more account (WA State)

"AN ACT Relating to creating the tax-me-more account; adding a new section to chapter 82.32 RCW; and creating a new section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. Recognizing there are individuals who believe they are undertaxed and that advocate a greater tax burden for Washingtonians, it is hereby the declared policy of this state to provide such individuals with the opportunity to contribute more of their income to state government and to this end there is hereby created in the state treasury the "tax-me-more account." Any person who believes they are undertaxed may contribute any amount of money they so choose to the account. The account shall consist of money received from contributions, donations, gifts, bequests, grants, or other sources granted or given for this account.

NEW SECTION. Sec. A new section is added to chapter 82.32 RCW to read as follows:

The tax-me-more account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from citizens' voluntary contributions, donations, gifts, bequests, grants, or other sources granted or given for this account must be deposited in the account. Money in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used for any general fund or transportation purposes."

This bill (Senate Bill 5700) has just been referred to the Senate Ways & Means Committee. I have compiled a list of the bill's authors and the members of Ways & Means in order that those who would like to contact them to urge passage of the bill may do so easily. I recommend, in descending order of effectiveness:
(1) a handwritten letter, or
(2) a printed and signed letter, or
(3) an e-mail.
(4) (I never call; phone calls don't end up in their bill binder.)
You are not restricted to contacting your own senator (though if you contact your senator it doesn't hurt to mention that he or she represents you.) Typically I write to all the members of a committee reviewing a bill.

(Libertina and/or CyberCowboy777, would you be willing to ping your WA Freepers list?)

SB 5700 Authors:

Senator DON BENTON (R) 17th Legislative District
Represents east Clark County and west Skamania County.
Legislative Office: 109-B Irving R. Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40417; Olympia, WA 98504-0417
Telephone: (360) 786-7632; Fax: (360) 786-7173; e-mail: benton_do@leg.wa.gov

Senator DAN SWECKER (R) 20th Legislative District
Represents parts of Lewis, Pierce and Thurston counties.
Legislative Office: 103 Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40420; Olympia, WA 98504-0420
Telephone: (360) 786-7638; Fax: (360) 786-1999; e-mail: swecker_da@leg.wa.gov

Senator BOB OKE (R) 26th Legislative District
Represents parts of Pierce and Kitsap Counties.
Major Cities: Port Orchard, Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, parts of Tacoma and Bremerton.
Legislative Office: 110 Irving R. Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40426; Olympia, WA 98504-0426
Telephone: (360) 786-7650; Fax: (360) 786-7651; e-mail: oke_bo@leg.wa.gov

Senator LUKE ESSER (R) 48th Legislative District
Represents parts of east King County.
Major Cities: Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue.
Legislative Office: 211 Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40448; Olympia, WA 98504-0448
Telephone: (360) 786-7694; Fax: (360) 786-7524; e-mail: esser_lu@leg.wa.gov

SB 5700 Author and member of Ways & Means Committee:

Senator MIKE HEWITT (R) 16th Legislative District
Represents Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and most of Asotin counties.
Legislative Office: 115B Irving Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40416; Olympia, WA 98504-0416
Telephone: (360) 786-7630; Fax: (360) 786-7819; e-mail: hewitt_mi@leg.wa.gov

Members of Ways & Means Committee:

Senator DINO ROSSI (R, chairman) 5th Legislative District
Represents South and East King County, including North Bend, Maple Valley, Snoqualmie, Issaquah, Fairwood, Sammamish, and portions of unincorporated King County.
Legislative Office: 316 John A. Cherberg Building; P.O. Box 40405; Olympia, WA 98504-0405
Telephone: (360) 786-7608; Fax: (360) 786-7173; e-mail: rossi_di@leg.wa.gov

Senator JOSEPH ZARELLI (R) 18th Legislative District
Represents parts of Clark, Cowlitz and Lewis counties.
Legislative Office: 203 Irving R. Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40418; Olympia, WA 98504-0418
Telephone: (360) 786-7634; Fax: (360) 786-7173; e-mail: zarelli_jo@leg.wa.gov

Senator DARLENE FAIRLEY (D) 32nd Legislative District
Represents Northwest King County, including the areas of North Ballard, Crown Hill, Bitter Lake, Haller Lake, and Kenmore, and the cities of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park.
Legislative Office: 425 John A. Cherberg Building; P.O. Box 40432; Olympia, WA 98504-0432
Telephone: (360) 786-7662; Fax: (360) 786-1999; e-mail: fairley_da@leg.wa.gov

Senator ERIK POULSEN (D) 34th Legislative District
Represents West Seattle, Burien and Vashon Island.
Legislative Office: 338A John A. Cherberg Building; P.O. Box 40434; Olympia, WA 98504-0434
Telephone: (360) 786-7667; Fax: (360) 786-7524; e-mail: poulsen_er@leg.wa.gov

Senator LISA BROWN (D) 3rd Legislative District
Represents the heartland of the downtown Spokane area, extending to the North Side and South Hill.
Legislative Office: 332 John A. Cherberg Building, P.O. Box 40403; Olympia, WA 98504-0403
Telephone: (360) 786-7604; Fax: (360) 786-1999; e-mail: brown_li@leg.wa.gov

Senator MARK DOUMIT (D) 19th Legislative District
Represents Pacific, Wahkiakum, and parts of Grays Harbor and Cowlitz counties.
Legislative Office: 405 John A. Cherberg Building; P.O. Box 40419; Olympia, WA 98504-0419
Telephone: (360) 786-7636; Fax: (360) 786-1999; (no e-mail given)

Senator KAREN FRASER (D) 22nd Legislative District
Represents the northern portion of Thurston County, including all of Olympia and Lacey, most of Tumwater, and the unincorporated communities of Johnson Point, Cooper Point, Tanglewilde, Thompson Place, and Boston Harbor.
Legislative Office: 417 John A. Cherberg Building; P.O. Box 40422; Olympia, WA 98504-0422
Telephone: (360) 786-7642; Fax: (360) 786-7450; e-mail: fraser_ka@leg.wa.gov

Senator PATRICIA S. HALE (R) 8th Legislative District
Represents most of Benton County, including Richland and Kennewick.
Legislative Office: 206-A Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40408; Olympia, WA 98504-0408
Telephone: (360) 786-7614; Fax: (360) 786-7524; e-mail: hale_pa@leg.wa.gov

Senator JIM HONEYFORD (R) 15th Legislative District
Includes all of Klickitat and Skamania Counties and parts of Yakima and Clark counties. Major Cities: Sunnyside, Toppenish, Grandview, White Salmon, Goldendale, Wapato and Zillah.
Legislative Office: 204 Irving R. Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40415; Olympia, WA 98504-0415
Telephone: (360) 786-7684; Fax: (360) 786-7173; e-mail: honeyfor_ji@leg.wa.gov

Senator STEPHEN L. JOHNSON (R) 47th Legislative District
Represents southeast King County from the Renton Highlands to Kent to Black Diamond.
Legislative Office: 107 Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40447; Olympia, WA 98504-0447
Telephone: (360) 786-7692; Fax: (360) 786-1999; e-mail: johnson_st@leg.wa.gov

Senator LINDA EVANS PARLETTE (R) 12th Legislative District
Represents Chelan and Douglas Counties and parts of Grant and Okanogan Counties. Major City: Wenatchee.
Legislative Office: 106A Irv Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40412; Olympia, WA 98504-0412
Telephone: (360) 786-7622; Fax: (360) 786-7819; e-mail: parlette_li@leg.wa.gov

Senator DEBBIE REGALA (D) 27th Legislative District
Represents Tacoma, Ruston, Fife.
Legislative Office: 412 John A. Cherberg Building; P.O. Box 40427; Olympia, WA 98504-0427
Telephone: (360) 786-7652; Fax: (360) 786-1999; e-mail: regala_de@leg.wa.gov

Senator PAM ROACH (R) 31st Legislative District
Represents parts of South King County and a portion of NE Pierce County, including Auburn, Bonney Lake, Buckley, Edgewood, Enumclaw, Lake Tapps, Sumner, and Wilkeson.
Legislative Office: 202 Irving R. Newhouse Building, P.O. Box 40431; Olympia, WA 98504-0431
Telephone: (360) 786-7660; Fax: (360) 786-1999; e-mail: roach_pa@leg.wa.gov

Senator LARRY SHEAHAN (R) 9th Legislative District
Represents the counties of Adams and Whitman and parts of Asotin and Spokane.
Legislative Office: 210 Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40409; Olympia, WA 98504-0409
Telephone: (360) 786-7620; Fax: (360) 786-1999; e-mail: sheahan_la@leg.wa.gov

Senator BETTI L. SHELDON (D) 23rd Legislative District
Represents Kitsap County, including Bainbridge Island, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Kingston, Hansville, and East Bremerton.
Legislative Office: 336 John A. Cherberg Building; P.O. Box 40423; Olympia, WA 98504-0423
Telephone: (360) 786-7644; Fax: (360) 786-1999; e-mail: sheldon_be@leg.wa.gov

Senator SHIRLEY WINSLEY (R) 28th Legislative District
Represents Fircrest, University Place, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Tillicum, and West Tacoma; Anderson, Ketron, Day, and McNeil Islands.
Legislative Office: 205 Irving R. Newhouse Building; P.O. Box 40428; Olympia, WA 98504-0428
Telephone: (360) 786-7654; Fax: (360) 786-7173; e-mail: winsley_sh@leg.wa.gov

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