US EditionFerguson says he can’t support WA income tax bill without changes
- On Tuesday, Washington state Democrats officially introduced Senate Bill 6346 and House Bill 2724 in Olympia, proposing a 9.9% tax on income above $1,000,000.
- Governor Bob Ferguson framed the plan as needed to address a $12 billion to $16 billion budget shortfall and to make the tax system fairer, while supporters say revenue would fund public education, early learning, childcare, healthcare and expand the Working Families Tax Credit.
- The proposal would override Initiative 2111's ban on income taxes and is delayed to allow collection system building and legal challenges, citing a 1933 ruling and 2023 capital gains decision.
- Governor Bob Ferguson said he cannot support the proposal in its current form, while Republicans warned `Lawmakers could adjust the threshold at any time with a simple majority vote, and history shows they will,' Ferguson said in a statement Tuesday.
- Supporters estimate about 30,000 taxpayers would be affected, while the bill exempts small businesses under $250,000 gross receipts and starts a grooming sales-tax exemption on Jan. 1, 2029.
18 Articles
18 Articles
WA income tax on millionaires: Lawmakers introduce long-awaited bill
Washington lawmakers introduced the long-awaited income tax on millionaires late Monday night, marking a historic step in the decades-long debate over how the state funds its government. The bills, HB 2724 in the House and SB 6346 in the Senate, were filed late Monday, though the full text has not yet been published on the official legislative website. KIRO Newsradio was the first news organization to report on the contents of a working draft la…
washingtonstatestandard.com
WA Senate leader explains dim outlook for a new tax on big businesses
Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, during Senate floor debate on Jan. 28, 2026. (Photo by Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard)A year ago, Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, signed onto legislation to create a statewide version of a Seattle tax on the payrolls of Washington’s largest employers. But it didn’t gain traction as the Democrat-led Legislature settled on other means of raising more than $9 billion in taxes…
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