Washington State Democratic Chairs Organization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 03/25/09

CONTACT:

Kathy Humphrey, 509-683-1949 Dan Lambert 509-536-9456
kitanne1@crcwnet.com dan@cpccities.org

AGRICULTURAL RURAL CAUCUS DEFLECTS BILL INTENDED TO TAX WASHINGTON STATE FARM
PRODUCTS AND FARM AUCTIONS

Through a concerted effort by the Washington State Democratic Party's
Agricultural Rural Caucus,(ARC) spearheaded by ARC consultant Dan
Lambert and member Kathy Humphrey, proposed Senate Bill 5911, offered
by three West Coast Senators, was all but dead in the
Senate Ways and Means Committee, thanks in no small part to the
opposition mounted by agricultural advocates within the
Democratic Party.. The Bill proposes to impose the "Business and Occupation" tax on
Washington farms and the State sales tax on farm auction proceeds.

"The last thing anyone needs in this economy is new taxes, and that
especially applies to farmers, many of whom are struggling just to
break even as it is. Usually farms only have auctions when they go
under. Slapping a sales tax on a farm bankruptcy auction would be
the ultimate government insult, especially since sales taxes have
already been paid on every item to be sold at that auction. How many
times does the state need to collect sales tax?" said Humphrey,
wife of a Douglas County wheat farmer, Democratic State Committeewoman,
and agricultural activist.

"Maintaining our family farms is important to local economies, the
economy of the State of Washington, as well as to the well being of
the people of Washington," said Larry Ludwig, ARC Secretary. Notes Humphrey,
"Democrats want to support all our farmers in their endeavors and oppose unfair,
harmful taxation which singles farmers out to their disadvantage and their
consumers' detriment. While we believe the Bill is all but dead, we are still
keeping a wary eye on the legislature just to make sure it doesn't pop up as
an amendment to a similar bill."

"For too long the public has seen American agriculture as the domain of the
wealthy. The public reads of all kinds of abuses and do not understand the
investment needed to make a living by farming. Some legislators in Olympia
may see this as an opportunity to take advantage of those who work the land.
Their instigating the Business and Occupation tax is a result of this paradigm" states Lambert.
"My family has been farming in Eastern Washington since the
early 1880's and we have much to be grateful for, thanks to generations of hard work.
The farmers I know do not deserve another source of adversity and certainly not more
taxes. They do not want charity from any source, only to work hard, raise their
families and see parity for the crops they produce. ARC will continue to make
progress to strengthen our rural economies in Washington".