Believing that desperate times call for immediate and decisive action, Sen. Paull Shin is proposing a bill that would give voters the ability to approve a temporary increase in the states sales tax of 1 percent. Senate Bill 5972 would increases the state sales and use tax by 1 percent starting in June. If approved by the legislature and the voters, the increase would last up to three years and would also include provisions to roll back the increase as the state's unemployment rate drops back toward pre-recession levels. Sen. Shin says the increase would bring in enough money to cover the current budget shortfall which threatens services important to Washington's present and future.

Sen. Shin (TRT: 15): “Now we are proposing a budget cut of close to $2 billion and if we cut the budget that much, it will affect branches of government, schools and the basic public health system as well.”

Shin says his proposal comes at a critical time for the state and that legislators must act now, rather than waiting.

Sen Shin (TRT: 10): “Life is not about waiting until the storm is over. Life is about learning how to dance in the storm. We need to act on it to save the vital programs we have.”

The Shin bill bears many similarities to Gov. Gregoire’s proposed revenue package, which would send a temporary 0.5 percent sales tax increase to the voters early in 2012.