Will Oregon Dem Gov Kate Brown Sign $244 Million Small Business Tax Hike?

Oregon Democrat Governor Kate Brown is on the verge of betraying taxpayers yet again, with her far-left allies pressuring her to sign a massive $244 million tax hike on small businesses. Brown is already responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in new taxes during her time in office, hiking taxes on healthcare, gasoline and even bicycles.

Now, the Bulletin editorial board is calling on Kate Brown to veto this massive tax hike, which would raise the tax burden on small businesses that “are the backbone of the Oregon economy.” Brown has refused to take a position on the tax hike bill which is currently on her desk.

Brown has consistently betrayed taxpayers during her time in office, and it would not be surprising if she sided against small businesses again by signing this $244 million tax hike.

The Bulletin editorial board writes,

Gov. Kate Brown has until April 6 to make up her mind about whether to veto a bill that would raise taxes on sole proprietors and other small-business owners across Oregon. While she needn’t officially reject or sign Senate Bill 1528 before April 13, she must make her plans known a week before that.

…If Brown signs SB 1528 or allows it to become law without her signature, pass-through businesses will be unable to take the same deduction on their state tax returns. The net result? The state could collect as much as $244.4 million from the tax over the current biennium.

…Brown knows full well that small businesses are the backbone of the Oregon economy. In fact, according to the Oregon Business magazine website, businesses with fewer than 50 employees make up 96 percent of companies in the state and employ 40 percent of the state’s workforce.

They do so without the benefits — the ability to borrow money easily is a big one — that larger corporations may have. The small-­business tax increase that’s central to SB 1528 only makes their problems worse. Brown should veto it.