On Tuesday, House Democrats passed the state income tax (Senate Bill 6346) after more than 24 hours of debate, ignoring the impact it will have on our economy and the essential fact that it is unconstitutional.
They did so despite all the opposition from across the state – voters, newspaper editorial boards, minority business owners, small business owners, family farmers, community leaders, local elected officials, and working families.
That opposition is grounded in a genuine concern for Washington’s economy, potential job loss, and the inevitable expansion of the tax to apply to everyone.
“Democrats are putting their economy and jobs
at risk if they follow the California ratchet of tax,
spend, and tax some more.”
Facts about the income tax:
- It is unconstitutional. In the 1930s, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that income is property (you own it, right?). The state constitution prohibits a tax on property that applies different rates to different people. Therefore, an income tax that charges some people 9.9% violates the constitution.
- It’s a tax on everyone with a temporary $1 million deduction that can easily be removed by simply amending the law.
- It is already driving people out of Washington, including job providers. Democrats are banking on the tax raising $3.2 billion a year, but that will go down as those targeted by the tax leave the state.
- Local charities and other non-profits that depend on major gifts will see donations shrink, as large donors move away and donate to organizations in their new state.
- Not one dime of the revenue is earmarked for education or health care, no matter what proponents might say. The money goes into the general fund to be spent by the majority however it wants.
- Just because more than 40% of the state budget currently funds education doesn’t mean that more than 40% of this revenue will.
- It does nothing to make Washington’s tax code less regressive. It’s a money grab.
What now?
Having passed in both chambers, the income tax now awaits the governor’s signature. If he signs it, it will be challenged in court. Proponents are hopeful that the liberal Supreme Court justices will overturn roughly 90 years of legal precedent and rule that income is not property.
If that happens, the years of uncontrolled spending will get worse.
Tell the governor to VETO the income tax (SB 6346).
Learn more about the supplemental budgets
Learn more about the supplemental operating, capital and transportation budgets written during the 2026 Legislative Session.
Operating Budget Final Numbers
- Spending in a biennium exceeds $80 billion for the first time
- Equals an 11.4% spending increase for the 2025-27 biennium compared to 2023-25
- Relies heavily on one-time money: Drains our unrestricted reserves by $2.3 billion, including $880 million from the rainy-day fund
- Assumes spending in the budget will only grow at 2.2% each biennium even though Democrats have historically grown spending by 15% per biennium
- Suspends reality by assuming that $766 million of appropriated money will NOT be spent
- If the revenue assumptions fall through, we will end up with another deficit up to $10 billion
- K-12 funding drops to 42.2% of the budget, lower than at the time of the 2012 McCleary ruling
- Education takes a larger cut in policy funding than other areas
- Tied to the unconstitutional income tax that could be overturned by the state Supreme Court
- The largest cost increase is driven by the harm to Washington residents caused by mismanaged state agencies, such as the Department of Children, Youth and Families
- Despite complaining about the regressivity of Washington’s tax system, this budget provides NO direct help for taxpayers.
Session is in the rearview mirror — how’d it go?
Even though Republicans are in the minority, we had several significant wins this session.
Republican wins
Killing BAD legislation:
- SB 5312: Sex Offender Leniency
- SB 5926: Reducing Daycare Transparency
- SB 5942: Reducing Oversight of the Department of Youth, Children and Families
- SB 5945: Weakening the “Three Strikes” Law
- SB 5973 / 5382: Initiative Killers
Making the voice of the people heard:
Republicans led a grassroots call to action for people to sign in against the income tax when it was heard in committee in both the House and the Senate. More than 100,000 people signed in CON, making the income tax the most unpopular bill in state history.
The people of Washington sent two initiatives to the Legislature for consideration. IL26-001 would restore school notification requirements in the Parents’ Bill of Rights. IL26-638 would prohibit biological boys from competing in girls’ sports. Democrats refused to schedule either initiative for a public hearing, denying their constitutional duty to prioritize initiatives to the Legislature. Instead, Republicans in the Senate and House held two listening sessions where people were able to give comment. After March 12, both initiatives become ballot measures and the people will get a chance to vote on them in November.
Democrat blunders
In addition to passing an unconstitutional state income tax, majority Democrats made several blunders this session by passing bad legislation and a bloated budget, and ignoring critical problems endangering Washington’s children.
Passed bad legislation
- SB 5855: Prohibiting Face Masks for Law Enforcement: This bill prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing face masks. It also allows people to sue individual officers if they are masked during their interactions. Intended to control the behavior of I.C.E. agents. However, due to the Supremacy Clause in the U.S. Constitution, it has no effect on federal law enforcement — such as I.C.E. agents.
- SB 5974: Decertifying Elected Sheriffs: In a direct assault on democracy, this bill will allow a board appointed by the governor to decertify and remove sheriffs that were elected by the people.
Passed an $80 billion operating budget that relies on $114 million in new taxes, on top of the $12.3 billion state and local tax increase last year. It only balances if $801 million in appropriated money isn’t spent spending only grows by 2.2% per biennium (even though it’s grown by more than 15% every biennium since Democrats took control of the Senate). If those things fall through, we’ll have another deficit of $10 billion.
Refused to give either initiative to the Legislature a public hearing, ignoring their constitutional duty to give them priority over all other legislative business.
Tried to undermine direct Democracy by attempting to impose restrictions on the citizen-initiative process that would have made it more expensive and cumbersome, and would have made signature gatherers personally liable for invalid signatures.
Ignored the crisis conditions at our juvenile rehabilitation centers, allowing the dangerous overcrowding that results in riots, assaults and other violent activity to continue.
Ignored the moral and fiscal costs of child fatalities and near-fatalities from exposure to fentanyl and from poor case management at the Department of Children, Youth and Families. House Democrats AGAIN refused to hear my bill adding fentanyl to the child endangerment statute, despite strong bipartisan support in the Senate.
Antisemitism at Evergreen State College earns it an “F” grade
The Evergreen State College has earned an embarrassing and disturbing grade from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
The ADL has given the Evergreen State College an “F” grade for antisemitism on campus and how the university handles it.
The ADL evaluates antisemitism at 150 schools based on 32 criteria.
While Evergreen received a “satisfactory” rating for Jewish life on campus, it also received “below expectations” for administrative actions and “low to none” for campus conduct.
The report notes that there is a high level of anti-Zionist incidents and activity on the part of students, faculty and faculty government.
The college receives about $43 million per year from taxpayers. A university that receives state funding should not fail on any front, much less for the level of antisemitism on campus.
Evergreen must do better.