Washington lawmakers have sent a sweeping state income tax bill to the desk of Bob Ferguson, where the governor must now decide whether to sign it into law or veto it. Last year, Gov Ferguson signed the largest package of tax hikes in state history into law, after pushing for a “balanced approach” for months....
Mike Sotelo, president of the Ethnic Chamber of Commerce Coalition, writes about Washington’s proposed state income tax on earnings above $1 million threatens to undermine the progress and stability of minority-owned businesses at a time when our state’s entrepreneurial diversity is finally gaining momentum. As co-chair of the Seattle Ethnic Chamber of Commerce, I’ve seen firsthand...
Today, 40+ local businesses in Whatcom County sent a joint letter to the Washington State Legislature expressing their concerns regarding the proposed state income tax, SB 6346. The letter urges the Legislature to reject the income tax in order to avoid negative impacts on Washington’s economy. To the Honorable Members of the Washington State Legislature,...
Today, 30+ local businesses in Clark County sent a joint letter to the Washington State Legislature expressing their concerns regarding the proposed state income tax, SB 6346. The letter urges the Legislature to reject the income tax in order to avoid negative impacts on Washington’s economy. March 9, 2026 To the Honorable Members of the...
Friday, Bob Ferguson announced he reached an agreement with legislative leaders to amend the proposed state income tax bill, and that he will sign it if it reaches his desk. The changes? A handful of small tax credits and modest tweaks. But the core proposal remains the same: creating a state income tax in Washington,...
Local elected leaders from across Washington are speaking out against the proposal to create a state income tax, warning it could harm communities, small businesses, and the state’s economic competitiveness. In the letter below (and available as a pdf here), they urge lawmakers to reject the plan and instead pursue policies that support growth and...
Today, 30+ local businesses in Snohomish County sent a joint letter to the Washington State Legislature expressing their concerns regarding the proposed state income tax, SB 6346. The letter urges the Legislature to reject the income tax in order to avoid negative impacts on Washington’s economy. March 6, 2026 To the Honorable Members of...
The Wall Street Journal editorial board has covered a letter from Washington state tech industry leaders regarding likely talent flight if the state imposes a state income tax. From the article: Washington state Democrats have plunged ahead with plans for a new income tax despite public opposition and their own state constitution. A new letter...
With one of the biggest deadlines of the legislative session now behind us, something important has happened in Olympia. A long list of bad bills quietly died. Under legislative rules, non-fiscal related bills had to pass out of their chamber of origin last week, or they’re effectively done for the year. Dozens failed to make...
It’s working. The response from Washingtonians like you in opposition to an income tax has been unprecedented, and lawmakers are taking notice. A House Democrat leader warned the income tax (that proponents are calling a ‘millionaires tax’) could hit everyone. Another Democrat representative wrote a scathing op-ed in opposition to the income tax. Three Democratic senators...
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board has taken notice of the push to implement a state income tax in Washington. From the editorial: Shameless describes many corners of the political universe, but special notice this week to Washington state Democrats for pushing an income tax forbidden by their own state constitution. In Olympia, the state...
On Monday, the Washington State Senate advanced SB 6346, the latest attempt to impose a state income tax in Washington, and sent it to the House despite bipartisan opposition. The proposal is framed as a narrow tax on the “wealthy,” but as we’ve outlined before, this is a fundamental shift away from century-old constitutional and...
The full Legal Memorandum from former Washington AG Rob McKenna is available here. Olympia, Washington — Today, the Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) publicly released a memorandum of law authored by former Attorney General Rob McKenna that outlines why the proposed 9.9% income tax pending in the state legislature is unconstitutional. The memo was prompted...
Democratic leaders in Olympia have moved one step closer to creating a state income tax. SB 6346 was advanced out of committee earlier this week, and a full Senate vote is expected soon, maybe as early as today/Friday. Lawmakers are trying to rush this forward, and they need to hear loud and clear from Washingtonians...