Washington’s proposed “millionaires’ tax” just got a political makeover, and Bob Ferguson says he’s now ready to sign it.

The governor announced he will support a revised version of Senate Bill 6346, after Democrats added a last-minute amendment intended to funnel some of the tax revenue back to families and small businesses.

The striking amendment, introduced by April Berg, expands eligibility for the Working Families Tax Credit, which currently provides checks ranging from $300 to $1,300 to qualifying households. Lawmakers say the changes would extend the credit to roughly 460,000 households while also offering some tax relief to small business owners.

Ferguson framed the changes as part of a broader affordability push.

“I’m glad to say the latest floor amendment to the bill achieves these critical goals, and will help make our state more affordable,” he said, adding that he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

The revised proposal also includes sales tax exemptions for over-the-counter medications and allocates 5% of the new revenue to the Fair Start for Kids Account, which funds childcare and early learning programs. Previous provisions eliminating sales taxes on diapers and hygiene products remain in place.

Of course, all of these “tax relief” measures depend on first passing a brand-new income tax.

The bill, sponsored by Jamie Pedersen, would impose a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million, starting in 2028. Democrats estimate it would raise about $3 billion per year beginning in 2029.

Republicans and critics say the plan opens the door to something much bigger: a statewide income tax that could eventually expand far beyond millionaires.

Former Rob McKenna warned lawmakers the proposal raises serious constitutional questions.

“Under our Constitution, we can have a state income tax if it follows the rules for property taxes,” McKenna said. “If the legislature wants a progressive income tax, it should send a constitutional amendment to the voters.”

Business leaders are also raising alarms. Mike Sotelo warned the tax could make it harder for entrepreneurs to build wealth and secure financing.

Meanwhile, supporters like Jabe Blumenthal argue wealthy residents should contribute more to the state.

For now, the bill remains in the House Finance Committee. If it passes there, it will head to the House floor for a final vote before returning to the Senate to approve the latest amendments.

But critics say the political strategy behind the bill is becoming clearer: sell a new income tax as “tax relief,” promise the money will only hit millionaires, and hope voters don’t notice the long-term implications. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

After nearly eight hours of debate, Washington House Democrats pushed through Senate Bill 5974 on a strict party-line vote early Friday morning — a bill that hands an unelected state board the power to remove elected sheriffs from office.

Yes, really.

The proposal, sponsored by Sen. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek), raises qualifications for sheriffs — including a minimum age of 25, five years of law-enforcement experience, background checks, and certification through the Criminal Justice Training Commission. On its face, those requirements sound reasonable.

The real controversy comes from what happens next.

Under the bill, if the state commission revokes a sheriff’s certification for misconduct, that automatically removes the sheriff from office — even if voters elected that person to the job.

In other words, an appointed state board could effectively overturn the results of a local election.

Lovick framed the legislation as a simple accountability measure, arguing law-enforcement leaders should meet the same standards as other officers.

Critics say the bill is something very different: a power grab that sidelines voters.

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison warned the measure represents “a fundamental shift of power away from voters and toward centralized authority.” Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said it undermines “voter sovereignty and free elections.”

And Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank, one of the bill’s most outspoken critics, put it bluntly: Democrats are targeting sheriffs who refuse to fall in line.

Republicans echoed that concern during floor debate, even dubbing the proposal the “get rid of Keith Swank bill.”

Supporters claim polling shows broad public backing for higher standards. But opponents note the glaring issue: Washington voters already have a way to remove sheriffs they don’t like — it’s called an election.

Apparently, that method isn’t reliable enough for Olympia Democrats.

The bill now heads back to the Senate for concurrence. If it clears that hurdle, it lands on Governor Bob Ferguson’s desk, where Washingtonians will find out whether the state’s new approach to accountability includes overriding the voters themselves. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

A new study from the Omega Law Group has ranked Washington 5th in the nation for neighborhood danger, based on crime rates in residential areas and public parks.

Not exactly the kind of top-five ranking state leaders like to brag about.

Researchers created a “Danger Index” by examining two categories: home-related crimes and crimes occurring in parks. Washington earned a score of 63.1, driven largely by a high rate of residential crime.

According to the study, Washington sees roughly 2,126 home-related crimes for every 100,000 residents — actually higher than Oregon and Utah, which ranked ahead of the state on the overall index. The state also recorded about 76 crimes in parks per 100,000 people.

Neighboring Oregon came in 4th overall, thanks largely to the highest park crime rate of any state in the top ten, with nearly 97 crimes per 100,000 residents.

The broader pattern isn’t great news for the region. The West Coast and Rocky Mountain states dominate the top of the danger rankings, with New Mexico taking the number-one spot as the most dangerous state for neighborhoods, followed by Colorado, Delaware, and Utah.

Meanwhile, the Northeast looks dramatically safer, with New Jersey, Maine, and West Virginia ranking as the safest states for neighborhoods.

Researchers say the numbers shape more than just crime statistics — they influence where people choose to live and how safe residents feel in their communities.

But in Washington, the message is becoming hard to ignore: after years of policies that weakened law enforcement and prioritized criminal justice experiments, the state is now climbing a list no one wants to lead. Read more at Seattle Red.

A new op-ed by Sam Cardwell of the Mountain States Policy Center, new economic report confirms what employers already know: Washington’s tax-and-regulate playbook is driving the state’s economy in the wrong direction.

A new report is delivering a harsh reality check for Washington’s economic outlook.

According to the 2026 Competitiveness Redbook, published by the Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy, the state’s business climate is slipping badly — and the trend is accelerating.

The Redbook analyzed 61 economic indicators, including electricity prices, taxes, minimum wage levels, unemployment insurance costs, and workforce trends. The conclusion: Washington’s small-business economy has been weakening for years, but the past year brought a particularly sharp decline.

That downturn comes after lawmakers imposed one of the largest tax increases in state history, including higher business-and-occupation taxes, expanded sales taxes, increased estate taxes, capital-gains taxes, and new taxes on luxury goods and electric-vehicle credits.

The result? Slowing job growth and rising costs.

Washington added just 19,800 non-agricultural jobs last year, a 0.5% growth rate that ranked 35th in the nation. That’s a steep drop from the 56,100 jobs added the year before and far below the 109,000 jobs created a decade ago, when Washington ranked near the top nationally.

Even the state’s long-standing advantage of cheap hydroelectric power is fading. Policies like the Climate Commitment Act are pushing energy costs higher as compliance expenses are passed directly to consumers.

Business leaders say the impact is becoming impossible to ignore.

“Rising taxes and higher costs are putting businesses under increasing strain,” said Kris Johnson, warning that companies are increasingly considering expansion or relocation outside the state.

And the Redbook isn’t alone in sounding the alarm. Washington now ranks 45th in the nation in the Tax Foundation’s 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index, while the 2025 Freedom Index from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratoriesplaces the state 35th overall.

Meanwhile, a survey by the Association of Washington Business found that 44% of business leaders are considering moving their personal residence out of Washington, a figure that has doubled since lawmakers began pushing a new statewide income tax. Another 17% of businesses say they are considering leaving the state entirely.

The broader regional comparison is even worse. Data from the Mountain States Policy Center shows Washington now leads neighboring states in general fund spending, per-capita debt, and state and local tax collections — hardly a formula for economic competitiveness.

The result is predictable: businesses are increasingly looking east to Idaho, where taxes and regulations are far lighter.

Washington was once known for producing globally successful companies like Amazon, Starbucks, and Boeing.

Today, the warning lights are flashing that the state’s tax-and-spend policies are making it harder for the next generation of entrepreneurs to build anything here at all. Read more at Center Square.

Washington House Democrats on Wednesday passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5925, expanding the authority of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office to issue Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs)—powerful legal tools that allow the state to compel documents, written responses, and sworn testimony without filing a lawsuit or obtaining a warrant first.

The bill cleared the House 56–41, largely along party lines, after the Senate had already approved it earlier this year. Because the House added amendments, the measure now heads back to the Senate before potentially landing on **Bob Ferguson’s desk.

Supporters claim the bill is about protecting vulnerable workers and tenants. Rep. Darya Farivar argued the expanded authority will help the state move faster against employers accused of harassment, wage theft, or housing violations.

She also suggested the change is needed in light of policies from the Donald Trump administration.

Republicans, however, warned the bill opens the door to government overreach and politically motivated investigations.

Rep. Peter Abbarno compared the new authority to allowing the attorney general to “kick the door down” and demand documents or testimony simply because the office wants them.

His warning: the bill could lead to “witch hunts.”

House lawmakers did add several guardrails before passing the measure. The amendments prohibit the AG’s Criminal Justice Division from issuing CIDs, require the office to have reasonable factual grounds before issuing a demand, extend response deadlines from 20 to 30 days, and require consistency with the Keep Washington Working Act.

But critics note that lawmakers rejected several stronger protections—such as requiring clear and convincing evidencebefore issuing a demand, compensating individuals for compliance costs, or preventing CID information from being shared with other law enforcement agencies.

In other words, Olympia Democrats just handed the attorney general more investigative power with fewer barriers—all while assuring the public it will only be used responsibly.

History suggests Washingtonians may want to keep a close eye on that promise. Read more at Center Square.

With the legislative session winding down, Washington Democrats are suddenly discovering a problem: they may not have the votes to pass their controversial income tax plan.

Senate Bill 6346, which would impose a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million, cleared the Senate earlier this session. But in the House, the proposal appears to be stalling as some Democrats hesitate to back it.

Supporters claim the tax would generate roughly $3 billion per year to help close Washington’s budget gap while offering relief to lower-income families and small businesses.

But even within the Democratic caucus, there’s growing discomfort.

Rep. Amy Walen of Kirkland has been one of the most notable holdouts. She said she’s waiting to see whether a new “striker” version of the bill — which could completely rewrite the proposal — will address her concerns.

Walen previously introduced her own tax overhaul plan, which paired tax changes with a constitutional amendment and a vote of the people. Her proposal would also have reduced the state sales tax.

That bill never even received a public hearing.

Walen says the reason she’s cautious about the income tax is simple: her constituents aren’t sold on it.

She noted that Democratic leadership in Olympia is “very progressive,” but emphasized that she represents voters in the 48th Legislative District — not party leadership.

“I’m a small business owner,” Walen said. “The people of the 48th District sent me here to use my judgment.”

Republicans say the hesitation inside the Democratic caucus reflects broader concerns about the policy.

Jim Walsh, who also serves in the House, said some Democratic lawmakers are exploring a version of the income tax that would require a constitutional amendment.

Even he admits that approach would at least follow the proper process — something critics argue the current proposal avoids.

Meanwhile, Walsh believes Bob Ferguson may be playing political games by suggesting the bill might not pass this year.

According to Walsh, Ferguson has staked significant political capital on the income tax — and failure to pass it would be a major setback for the governor.

For now, the income tax proposal is stuck in legislative limbo. And with the session deadline just days away, Democrats are facing a reality they don’t like:

Washington voters may not be nearly as enthusiastic about a brand-new state income tax as Olympia politicians assumed. Read more at Center Square.

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