Budget bills in WA Legislature would tap rainy day fund, spend heavily on legal payouts
OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street and Bill Lucia] —Democrats in the Washington Legislature on Sunday proposed tapping the state’s rainy day savings account and slashing hundreds of millions of dollars for a child care program for low-income families to balance the state’s budget into next year. But under their plans, the state’s main operating account would have a more […]
Tension rising over how to spend revenue from proposed WA income tax
OLYMPIA [Bill Lucia] — A day after the Washington state Senate approved an income tax on millionaire earners, Gov. Bob Ferguson said he’s still not satisfied with the bill. He’s previously preached the need to pump a significant portion of the proceeds toward tax relief. On Tuesday, he said lawmakers hadn’t gone far enough and […]
John Braun commentary: Olympia’s concern for affordability continues to be one-sided
Republicans still seem to be alone at the state Capitol when it comes to knowing what “affordability” truly means. The proof is in the nearly 70 bills proposed or reintroduced by majority Democrats over the past several weeks that would make living in our state even more expensive. This long list of legislation would increase […]
WA State Senate approves Millionaires’ Tax on personal income
OLYMPIA [JERRY CORNFIELD & BILL LUCIA]—Washington state moved one step closer Monday, February 16, to creating a personal income tax two years after the Legislature said it wouldn’t. Majority Democrats in the Senate advanced legislation on a 27-22 vote to tax households earning more than a million dollars. Passage of the bill followed a three-and-a-half hour debate on […]
WA income tax on higher earners clears first legislative hurdle
OLYMPIA [Jerry Cornfield]—Democrats advanced controversial income tax legislation out of a key Washington state Senate committee on Monday after pledging more proceeds to local public defender costs and increasing a tax break for small businesses. Senate Bill 6346 passed the Senate Ways and Means Committee on a voice vote. This marked the first legislative test of […]
Proposed ‘Billionaire Tax’ in California results in an exodus of $700+ billion in wealth
With all this talk about a Millionaires’ Tax in Washington state, California may provide a crystal ball into what may happen here in the Evergreen State. After passing a “Millionaires’ Tax” in 2004, then a “Very-High Earner” tax on those making over $250,000 passed in 2012, now Californians may be hit with a new “Billionaire […]
What’s on the agenda for Washington’s 2026 legislative session
With a looming $1.6 billion to $2.3 billion budget shortfall hanging over the Washington state legislature, House and Senate leaders and Governor Bob Ferguson presented differing proposals to address the issue. Three panels of House and Senate leaders discussed the state’s transportation budget and general fund, while Ferguson renewed his support for a “millionaire tax.” […]
WA GOP budget lead blasts Ferguson’s budget plan as ‘a complete joke’
[The Center Square]—Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson released his proposed 2026 supplemental budget on Tuesday, the deadline for presenting it. Ferguson’s proposed budget totals $79 billion and aims to address a projected $2.3 billion shortfall through a combination of cost-saving reductions and targeted spending in housing, education and infrastructure. “I want to be clear that […]
Washington Gov backs ‘millionaires tax’ on incomes over $1M
OLYMPIA [Jake Goldstein-Street]—Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday threw his support behind a proposed income tax on residents earning more than $1 million annually, and said he’s prepared to sign the policy into law next year. Some legislative Democrats are eyeing a 9.9% “millionaires tax” on adjusted annual gross income over $1 million. Ferguson endorsed this version […]
Approve I-2124 to get a pay raise, end government’s monopoly on long-term care coverage
All four of the citizen initiatives on the upcoming general election ballot would let people keep more of their own money. That alone is a good reason to support each. Initiative 2124 stands out among those measures, as it literally offers a fast track to a larger paycheck. The passage of I-2124 would give many […]
