Tax break for police: New bill targets officer retention

New US bill proposes $100K tax break for veteran police officers

A Democrat Congresswoman has divided opinions after proposing exempting police officers from paying federal income taxes to improve their 'health and wellness.'

The policy was put forward this week by Washington Democrat Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who said she wants to exempt cops from federal taxes on their first $100,000 of income.

Gluesenkamp Perez said she put forward her bill, the Fuel the Force Act, after joining the Clark County Sheriff's office for a ride-along, and saw what law enforcement are 'up against.'

At a press conference announcing her legislation, the Democrat described the move as a 'necessary step' to rebuilding respect for police, and said we should 'reflect values of respect in the budget.'

But Gluesenkamp Perez's suggestion sparked debate, with critics questioning why police officers deserved the right over other similarly respectable professions.

'If police shouldn't pay taxes on income then why should sanitation workers pay taxes?' an X user responded to the congresswoman.

'Why should nurses pay taxes? Doctors? Teachers? Farm workers? All of those workers contribute a valuable service to society.'

The policy also drew criticism from the Seattle Times, which ran a column describing the proposal as 'making little sense.'

The Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat said he was unconvinced by Gluesenkamp Perez's proposal, and doubted her reason for putting forward the bill.

The Democrat claimed she was inspired by her ride-along with cops and from attending a kegger party for officers during Police Week, where she said some told her 'they had colleagues living on food stamps.'

Gluesenkamp Perez said hearing about their financial troubles 'enraged' her - but Westneat said police officer salaries in Washington cast doubt on the story.

The starting pay for a rookie deputy in the Clark County Sheriff's Office - where she had her ride-along - is $94,000, and rookie cops in Seattle start at $118,000.

This pay rises to $126,000 after six months, and after four and a half years the base salary soars to $154,000.

'It's a tough job that I wouldn't, or couldn't, do. So I don't begrudge them the pay. But do they need one of the larger personal tax exemptions ever proposed?'

The column questioned.

'No one else gets to deduct a full $100K from their ordinary income.'

Gluesenkamp Perez's X post about her ride-along experience drew similarly divided opinions, with many saying they respected police officers but were unsure about them being exempt from taxes.

'This makes no sense, carving out tax exemptions for any random group that's deemed as deserving, leading to more and more groups being exempt, until no one is paying taxes at all,' one said.

'Why don't we actually build out state capacity and make tax dollars work for people?'

In a press release touting her Fuel the Force Act, Gluesenkamp Perez said she believes the legislation will 'improve recruitment and retention of experienced law enforcement officers to ensure departments remain strong, professional, and equipped to protect our communities.'

The exemption would only kick in for law enforcement officers with at least five years experience, intended to be an initiative for cops to stay on the force long enough to reap the rewards.

'It goes hand in hand with what I hear from local law enforcement across Southwest Washington about how incredibly challenging it is to keep new officers on the force because of budget constraints and the nature of the job,' she said.

'Departments do their best work when they're able to build durable connections with the folks they protect. Those relationships take time to develop, so whenever a recruit leaves, things go back to square one.

'This bipartisan bill addresses the retention issue head on to support law enforcement officers and keep our communities safe.'