As state legislators head into the final weekend of the 2023 legislative session, it appears no new taxes will be part of the negotiated budget. Rep. April Berg, D-44 District, said her effort to raise the real estate excise tax is dead for this year. According to Berg’s spokesperson, the representative will continue to explore revenue opportunities for housing after the session ends Sunday night. Berg’s proposal would have raised an estimated $200 million a year to be used for low-income and affordable housing by allowing local jurisdictions and the state to raise the tax charged to home sellers. The state’s proposed increase of half a percentage point would have applied to properties sold for more than $3.025 million. Read more: https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/raise-real-estate-tax-bill-dead-olympia/281-b231d260-be21-48c5-bf77-f0a7f2f685d6