Lawmakers introduce a 2-cent an hour tax

January 27, 1:03 PMWashington Law ExaminerMichael Reitz

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Washington lawmakers want you to pay two cents an hour to fund a pet project. In 2007 the legislature passed the Family and Medical Leave Act, which paid up to $250 per week for 5 weeks to families beneficiaries who recently had or adopted a child. The only problem -- lawmakers couldn't figure out how to fund the program.

The proposal is back this year, and this time they've identified a funding source: YOU.

Lawmakers won't call it an income tax, but that is essentially what it is. Employees would pay two cents an hour, up to forty hours a week. This amounts to almost $42 a year.

The Washington Policy Center's Carl Gipson has all the details here, along with a dire warning: the 2-penny tax would only be the beginning. Nine months after launch the tax would be adjusted to "ensure system solvency."