800+ Healthcare Workers, Teachers, Parents, and More from Across Washington Rally in Olympia to Support Millionaires Tax
More than 800 advocates from all corners of Washington state rallied on the steps of the capitol in Olympia today in support of the proposed Millionaires Tax (SB 6346). The bill, approved by the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Monday, is pending in the Senate Rules committee, which sends bills to the floor for a vote.
Enthusiasm at the rally reflects two recent polls showing over 60% public support for the measure and that any potential ballot challenge would likely fail by similar margins that Initiative 2109 did in 2024.
“This is a state that’s willing to tax tampons, but not tax Amazon. Washington’s tax system is a scam. It is designed to protect wealth and extract from workers. It rewards hoarding and punishes survival. And it forces working people to bankroll a state that lets billionaires off the hook. In this state, the richer you are, the less you pay. The poorer you are, the more you pay. The Millionaires Tax is the line. It says, if you make millions in this state, you will contribute. No loopholes. No freebies. No more excuses,” said Mike Yestramski WFSE President
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a real change in our tax code, one that will be felt by the educators here today, and the state employees, and the child care providers, and the health care workers, and the in-home care providers, and the working parents, and the seniors,” said Rep. April Berg LD-44 (Mill Creek)
“It’s so important to me – and should be important to the State – that we think about the future of caregiving when it comes to decisions like this one. People who live with disabilities deserve respect and dignity, and the opportunity to have a safe and rewarding future! We have an upside-down tax system in this State – where the people with the lowest income are paying a much higher percentage of their income to taxes than the richest. Because of this, we’re in a budget crisis, where funding for care for [my son] Max and the thousands oother “Max’s” out there who can’t take care of themselves, is at risk,” said Melissah Watts , Caregiver and SEIU 775 Executive Board Member
A recent study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found that the “millionaire class” recently grew by 46.9% in Washington despite the state’s first ever capital gains tax. Their wealth grew by more than $748 billion in Washington state between 2022 and 2024.
About Invest in Washington Now: Invest In Washington Now formed in 2020 to advocate for progressive revenue solutions and to ensure the mega-wealthy pay what they owe in taxes and represents more than 130,000 activists. We led efforts to pass the state’s capital gains tax on extraordinary profits and defended it at the ballot in 2024 by defeating Initiative 2109 with over 64% of the vote.