House Democrats Seek Alterations of Big-business Tax Breaks

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A group of House Democrats in Washington have announced a series of measures that seek to eliminate or narrow tax breaks for banks, purchases by corporations and other big-business exemptions.

Announced Thursday at a news conference, one of five proposals introduced would tie Boeing's eligibility for tax-breaks to the amount of people they employ in Washington. Another would close a tax exemption for extracted fuel used in manufacturing for oil refineries, according to a news release.

Under another measure, corporations would no longer get a sales tax exemption for buying, repairing and retrofitting large private airplanes. Currently, that tax break is available to "nonresidents," of the state and the proposed measure would keep the exemption for individuals buying planes.