Washington Dems Want to Keep Stadium Tax

Some Washington state Democrats want to keep a tax increase used to pay for a new Mariners stadium in place even though it’s set to expire and the facility is paid for, the Seattle Times reported Monday.

In 1995, lawmakers imposed a new tax to pay for the stadium bonds for Safeco Field. Now that the bonds are set to be paid off this year, some want to keep the money to pay for favored causes, like a $600 million expansion of a convention center, low-income housing and the arts.

"When the tax was introduced, our customers were promised these taxes would expire. The promise comes due this fall," Shane Skinner, business manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in the state, told the newspaper.

A recent proposal that’s cleared the state House would extend a 0.5 percent tax on restaurant meals in King County until 2015. It also would extend a 2 percent car-rental tax permanently.

Republicans from throughout the state have opposed keeping the tax increases.