State Supreme Court upholds “sin tax” budget
OLYMPIA - The state Supreme Court has upheld a package of “sin tax” hikes that lawmakers used to balance the state budget in 2005.
The ruling says the Democratic-controlled Legislature and Gov. Chris Gregoire did not violate Initiative 601’s spending limits when they put together the package, which included higher taxes on cigarettes and liquor.
A coalition of conservative groups claimed the state illegally bumped up the initiative’s spending limit by shifting $250 million between various state accounts.
A lower-court judge agreed with critics last year. But the Supreme Court has overruled him, saying one state law can’t bind the legislature from changing laws in the future.