Bills Seek Ink of Aerospace Tax Breaks, State Workforce

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A House panel is considering two measures that would tie Boeing's eligibility for tax breaks to the amount of people they employ in Washington.

The House Finance Committee heard public testimony on the measures Tuesday. The bills are a tweaked version of bills introduced in previous years that never gained traction in the Democratic-controlled House, but have received renewed interest after another round of Boeing layoffs were announced last month.

The sponsors — one Republican, the other a Democrat — say they want to provide accountability to taxpayers. Lawmakers and others expressed frustration that thousands of jobs have been lost or moved out of state since the Legislature passed a suite of incentives nearly four years ago that benefited Boeing. Those tax breaks could save the aerospace giant more than $8 billion in taxes through 2040.