911 System For Phone Tax

Washington residents are likely to pay an extra 25 cents a month next year for every phone line they have, whether it’s a land line, a cell phone or an Internet-connected system.

The House of Representatives passed an increase in phone taxes Friday to pay for enhanced 911 equipment for state and local agencies, following action taken Thursday by the Senate.

Enhanced 911 allows a dispatcher to see the caller’s number and location when a call comes in. The state already allows local systems to charge a 50 cent fee for every land line and cell phone to help pay for the enhanced system, and the state charges 20 cents. The proposal raises local fees to 70 cents and the state fee to 25 cents.

House Republicans denounced the bill as another tax, even if it was for a good cause.