Democrats back off longterm care tax

RITZVILLE — Sen. Mark Schoesler’s efforts to halt implementation of the new longterm care tax on workers in Washington state may be paying off.

For months, Schoesler, R-Ritzville, has been trying to upend the tax on workers income to pay for a delayed longterm health care benefit. He even prefiled Senate Bill 5503 earlier this month calling on the Legislature to step back from the tax and look at alternatives.

“Many workers won’t be able to afford it – people earning an average wage will lose hundreds from their paychecks each year,” Schoesler said previously. “Too many people would pay the ta...