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”Democrats Give Thumbs Up to Major Tax Increases, As Republicans Fight to Get Taxes Lowered”
A number of bad tax increase proposals made it through round one at the state Legislature this week, crossing from one House to the other after gaining the approval of more than 50 percent of lawmakers in the body the bill originated in.
Republicans, for the most part, voted against these tax increase proposals and anti-business bills, but say they are frustrated by Democrats, who control 36 of 51 House seats and 20 of 25 Senate seats, who often vote in lock step, allowing them to easily control the agenda being passed.
That was certainly the case with SB 1626, which raises Hawaii’s General Excise Tax by 12.5 percent, from 4 percent to 4.5 percent. Democrats in the Senate say they want to use the funds –