OLYMPIA — Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, spoke out against the state operating budget presented by the Senate due to its affects on agriculture.

“It’s like declaring war on agriculture,” stated Schoesler. “Every farmer, every orchardist, every person that grows our food will pay more. That means consumers will pay more. This is nothing short of a back door food tax.”

In the operating budget, is proposed elimination of several tax incentives used to help people maintain their farms, ranches and orchards, he explained.

There has been a sales tax exemption on fertilizer and spray materials since 1943, the lawmaker noted. The proposed operating budget limit’s the tax exemption to organic materials.

“Just take potato growers for instance,” Schoesler stated. “Under this proposal, growing the same amount of potatoes on the same 125 acre circle would cost them an additional $10,000. Farms would have no choice but to pass at least some of that cost on to consumers.”

Senate Bill 6873 calls for the elimination of sales tax exemption on vehicle trade-ins resulting in an additional cost of $300 million over the next three years.

Senate Bill 6851 and House Bill 3181 are also being considered and equate to nearly tripling the tax on fertilizers, crop protection products and oil imported into Washington, he added.

Originally published March 1, 2010