TWN
THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER
Former Stanwood publisher passes away Page 5
August 2021
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
State reviewing newspaper tax preference
As current preference sunsets, door might open for broader allowances in law The Business and Occupation tax preference given to newspapers by Washington State will sunset in 2024, and that might be opening a door for changes that will help newspapers in the future. “Every step in the process needs to be managed, but I think that we should be successful in the 2022 or 2023 legislative sessions to extend significantly more tax relief to newspapers in Washington state, with the
possibility of creating some kind of local newsgathering grant program,” said Rowland Thompson, Executive Director of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington. Thompson has been following developments at the state level closely, and over the past three years has worked with the research analysts from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) during the scheduled review of the Business
Proposed legislation a “much needed boost” for local newspapers The Local Journalism Sustainability Act (LJSA) was recently introduced in the House and has now been introduced in the Senate. WNPA members are urged to contact their representatives and urge adoption of the act, which will benefit newspapers and subscribers and help preserve local journalism. Rowland Thompson of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington urged publishers and editors to especially thank Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., for her staunch support and sponsorship. “It has taken a great deal of effort to get to this point and it will take a great deal more to be successful,” Thompson said in an email to publishers. Dean Ridings, of America’s Newspapers, noted the act has
bipartisan support and he also urged publishers to contact their elected representatives and let them know the act is a necessary step toward preserving local journalism. “The LJSA has been designed to provide a much-needed boost to newspapers. What it isn’t is a permanent handout for local newspapers. Instead, it’s a well-thought-out approach to help sustain local newsgathering efforts through a series of tax credits that expire in five years. And it not only will provide aid to newspapers, but also to subscribers and local small businesses through tax credits that will benefit them directly,” Ridings said in a recent editorial. Through this legislation, subscribers will receive a tax credit of up to $250 per year whether See LJSA, Page 3
and Occupations Tax preference in RCW 82.04.260 (14) (a). The creation of this preference carries a sunset date of July 1, 2024 and the current review is in anticipation of that ending date. With the sunset date approaching, the JLARC recently reviewed the tax preferences and issued a report on the current state of the newpaper industry and the impact of the tax preference. “I have given them every bit of
information that I can of the history of the preference, the need for the preference and the vital nature of continuing the preference,” Thompson said, and “it appears that they have accepted my narrative and arguments.” Most recently the Citizen Tax Commission held a hearing Aug. 3 to review tax preferences facing sunset dates in 2023 and 2024. Among the preferences was the newspaper BusiSee TAXES, Page 2
Convention registration is open!
This photo by Port Orchard Independent photographer Carrie Griffis is among the winners in this year’s Better Newspaper Contest. Awards will be announced Oct. 9 at the annual convention in Bellingham. Registration for the conference is now open at wnpa.com.