Union Leaders Hail Senate’s Historic Passage of Millionaires Tax, Urge House to Continue Momentum
Today the Washington State Senate voted (27-22) for the Millionaires Tax, an historic step in fixing the state’s regressive tax system with a 9.9% tax on earnings over $1 million. Union leaders celebrated the outcome and called on House leaders to continue the momentum.
“I am so proud to have legislators right now that decided instead of doing what Washington DC is doing here in Washington State, we gonna do the right thing for the people, because they've decided that your healthcare, your childcare, your teachers are more important than millionaires decided to put the working class first, not millionaires. This is about our values. Washington should stand for care, dignity the community, and not for being worried about millionaires feelings,” said Jane Hopkins, RN, SEIU 1199 President
“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
For too long the regressive tax system in Washington has not provided the revenue necessary to adequately fund our pre-K through higher ed. public education systems. As a result, our state is not delivering on its paramount duty. The Millionaires Tax will shift the tax burden from working families and small business owners and help to build the world class public education systems that our students and communities deserve,” said Larry Delaney, WEA President
“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 of other “Max’s” out there who can’t take care of themselves, is at risk,” said Melissah Watts, Caregiver and SEIU 775 Executive Board Member
Two recent polls show 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.
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.
Learn more at investinwanow.org