No one knew who Washington state rep Mark Miloscia was until he proposed a ridiculous 18.5% tax on porn.
OLYMPIA, Wash. - At least one Washington state lawmaker thinks pornography could help the state out of its budget woes.
State Rep. Mark Miloscia, D-Federal Way, wants to create a sales tax specifically for pornographic materials like magazines and movies. He's proposed adding an 18.5 percent tax to the existing sales tax paid on these items.
With the state's $6 billion deficit, thousands of mentally and physically disabled residents could soon lose their state assistance. The representative wants his porn tax to cover those cuts.
If lawmakers approve the tax, an attorney who has represented strip clubs before thinks it would be overturned in court. He says it's unconstitutional to impose arbitrary taxes on something he believes is protected by the First Amendment.
Miloscia has heard critics say the tax might hurt the adult entertainment business. That's fine with him
"If we had to lose an industry or lose a business or two, this probably wouldn't make the top of the list like Microsoft of Boeing," he said.
The governor has not publicly said if she would support the proposed sales tax increase on pornography. She has said this year's budget should be balanced without raising new taxes.
