Manka Did That - Her Words, Her Record
Manka Dhingra is a washington state senator serving in the 45th legislative district
- Since November 2017, she has supported policies and sponsored legislation that have contributed to Washington State’s economic troubles, increased taxes and deteriorating public safety.
- This website tells the story about who Manka Dhingra really is and provides information to help educated voters make the right choice in 2022.
- We can do better. For alternatives, please check out Ryika Hooshangi at ryika.com
Crime
Summary
Violent Crime at 25-year High
- Washingtonians were the victims of more violent crimes than at any point since the mid-1990s.
- Murder: All-time high in 2020, up 80% from five years ago.
- Rape: Up 40% from five years ago. In 2019, the most rapes on record since 1995.
- Aggravated Assault: Up 50% from five years ago. In 2020, the most aggravated assaults since 1995.
- Washington ranks 2nd worst in the country in property crime rate over the last five years
- Law enforcement officers per capita in Washington ranks dead last in the country
- Defunding or de-arming the police is the wrong approach to keeping our communities and families safe.
- We should be spending more money on law enforcement, not less. More training, more community outreach, more mental health assistance, and more school resource officers.
- We need to focus on community policing rather than reactionary policing.
What Manka Did
- (SB 5121 in 2021)Manka sponsored and passed bill that will allow over 750 prisoners each year with violent/sex crimes in their history out of prison early. All told, the policy will reduce prison inmates by roughly 3,000 per year, or roughly 20% of the prison’s population.
- (HB 1310 and HB 1054 in 2021) Manka passed bills that make enforcement of laws by law enforcement much more difficult. Law enforcement contends these Democrat policies will lead to increased crime.
- (Sec. 957, SSB 5092, 2021 operating budget) Jail Standards Task Force – $500,000 spent for task force to look at quality of services for jail inmates, including food quantity and quality, recreational services, and access to electronic media and commissary services, along with investigating data on square footage of living space per jail inmate.
Drugs
Summary
Drug overdose deaths at all-time high
- Click and Learn more: Overdose deaths in Washington top 2,000 in 2021 and continue to rise | Washington State Department of Health | April 12, 2022
- Nearly 2,000 Washingtonians died of drug overdose deaths in 2020, a per capita rate that exceeds all our neighboring states except California. (Idaho and Montana have a 50% lower overdose rate, and Oregon 20%.)
- The rate of drug overdose deaths has more than doubled in the 21st century (9.5 per 100,000 in 2000 vs. 22.5 per 100,000 in 2020). The problem has grown particularly acute in the last five years with the per capita death rate increasing by 50% in that time frame.
- Legalizing the possession of hard drugs like LSD, cocaine, heroin, and meth is the wrong approach to public safety and health.
- We need to strengthen our mental health and crisis intervention systems to help people cope with the depression and despair that lead many to drug abuse, and we need to make it easier for authorities to compel people into treatment.
- The uncontrolled use and abuse of opioids, including heroin, is destroying families and taking lives. Creating government-authorized injection sites for heroin addicts is the wrong approach in addressing this crisis.
What Manka Did
- Introduced bills, and passed them out of policy committees, to legalize possession of hard drugs, including methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine, and LSD (SB 5476 in 2021). Manka is a co-sponsor of SB 5476.
Transportation
Summary
Transportation congestion, road conditions, fuel prices and taxes rank amongst worst in the nation
What Manka Did
- Manka and the Democrats unveiled their Move Ahead Washington transportation package In the middle of the 2022 legislative session, without consulting Republicans. The majority party’s initial package included a controversial export fuel tax which drew strong opposition from Republicans in the Legislature and state lawmakers and governors from other states. Facing pressure, Democrats removed this controversial funding source and opted instead to raid the Public Works Assistance Account. The majority party kept other fee and tax increases (learn more here) in their proposal.
- Sponsored by Manka both Senate Bill 5974 (transportation resources) and Senate Bill 5975 (additive transportation funding and appropriations) passed the House on March 1, 2022, following lengthy floor debates that ended just before midnight. House Republicans opposed both bills, arguing that the Democrats’ $17 billion, 16-year transportation package raises fees on Washingtonians, ignores many parts of the state, does not prioritize preservation and maintenance, and raids the important Public Works Assistance Account.
Taxes
Washingtonians pay a lot in taxes – and taxes recently enacted by Manka and the Democrats will cost median family another $1,000 a year, at minimum
- Washington state citizens continue to spend more of their hard-earned dollars on taxes than ever before. Tax collections are at an all-time high, yet Democrats in Olympia continue to increase and create new taxes.
- While many small businesses and workers in our state are in financial crisis, state government is not.
- The Democrat majority in Olympia continues to push proposals that will make driving, working, and living more expensive for Washingtonians.
- In 2018, Washingtonians had the 12th highest per capita state and local tax burden in the country ($5,960 vs. $5,150 national average). Since then, the tax burden has only risen:
- 22 new tax increases during 2019-21 legislative sessions.
- Raise $40 billion over 10 years.
- Three largest
- Local school property tax levy hike (2019) – $8.7 billion.
- Payroll tax for long-term care (2019, set to take effect January 2022) – $8 billion.
- Capital Gains Income Tax (2021) – $5.7 billion.
- A Washingtonian with a median valued home and median household income will see their tax burden go up $967 a year from just the top two tax increases (local school property tax hike and payroll tax).
What Manka Did
- State lawmakers entered the 2022 legislative session with a historic, $15 billion budget surplus. Unfortunately, Manka and majority Democrats ignored various Republican tax-relief proposals and chose not to provide meaningful tax relief to Washingtonians. They passed a supplemental operating budget (SB 5693) that continued a trend of massive state spending increases. Compared to 2019-21, this budget increased state spending by nearly $12.5 billion (24%) – the largest percentage increase in modern budgeting history.
- In the 2022 legislative session, Manka and majority Democrats also passed a partisan, $17 billion transportation package (SB 5974 and SB 5975) that increased transportation-related fees and taxes for Washingtonians
- 2021 Tax Increases (all supported by Manka)
- SB 5096 — Income Tax on Capital Gains
- HB 1277 — $100 Surcharge on Certain Recorded Documents
- 2020 Tax Increases (all supported by Manka)
- SB 6492 — Update to Workforce Education B&O Tax
- SB 5628 — Heavy Equipment – This took personal property tax on heavy equipment off the rolls and instead charges a tax at point-of-sale. The property tax will be shifted to everyone else, so this is a net revenue gain to the state
- 2019 Tax Increases (all supported by Manka)
- HB 1087
Long-Term Care Payroll Tax – This bill assessed a premium for long-term care. The fiscal impact represents Employment Security Department’s assessed premiums for fiscal years ’22-25. - SB 5313
K-12 Max Levy Authority – This bill did not directly raise taxes but allowed local school districts to raise additional property taxes. - HB 2158
Business & Occupation (B&O) Tax for Workforce Education - SB 5998
Graduated Real Estate Excise Tax - HB 2167
B&O Tax Increase for Financial Institutions - SB 5993
Model Toxics Control Act - SB 5997
Out-of-State Sales Tax - SB 6004
Travel Agents
- HB 1087