The so-called “millionaire’s tax” — Senate Bill 6346 — just cleared the House Finance Committee on a 9–6 vote. Democrats are pushing a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million, and they’re doing it with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball.

Let’s start with the sales pitch. It’s about “economic justice,” according to Rep. Shaun Scott (D-Seattle), who successfully stripped out a phase-out of a business and occupation tax surcharge on large corporations. Apparently even the tiny sliver of tax relief in the bill was too much generosity for Olympia’s appetite.

Republicans pointed out the obvious: if you’re going to impose a brand-new income tax in a state that explicitly rejected one, maybe don’t make it worse. That suggestion went nowhere.

They also tried to remove the marriage penalty baked into the proposal. Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen (R-Puyallup) argued the state shouldn’t punish two-parent households. Democrats rejected that too.

And perhaps most telling? Republicans attempted to restore voters’ ability to referendum the tax. Democrats shut that down. Translation: if this passes, your only options are a citizen initiative or praying the Washington Supreme Court intervenes.

Even some Democrats are uneasy. Rep. Amy Walen (D-Kirkland) voted no, arguing voters should approve an income tax before it’s imposed on them. Sen. Deb Krishnadasan (D-Gig Harbor) has already opposed it in the Senate, citing affordability concerns from her district.

When members of your own party are saying, “Maybe ask voters first,” that’s not exactly a confidence builder.

Meanwhile, warnings about capital flight were brushed aside. Lawmakers were reminded that high earners can — and do — leave. Tennessee is looking pretty good when your home state treats “success” like a revenue source to be harvested.

And let’s not forget: voters passed Initiative 2111 banning income taxes. But in Olympia, voter intent is apparently just a speed bump on the road to “progress.”

This isn’t about millionaires. It’s about cracking the constitutional door open. Once an income tax is in place, history tells us it never stays neatly confined to “just the rich.”

Olympia isn’t solving a spending problem. It’s institutionalizing one. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats are back with another classic Olympia maneuver: call it “relief,” promise it’s “revenue-neutral,” and hope no one notices the tab just landed in someone else’s mailbox.

Senate Bill 6162, sponsored by Sen. Deb Krishnadason (D-Gig Harbor), expands property tax exemptions for seniors, disabled individuals, and disabled veterans. On paper, it sounds compassionate. Who doesn’t want to help fixed-income seniors stay in their homes?

Here’s the fine print: the bill shifts roughly $200 million per year in property taxes from qualifying individuals onto the rest of Washington taxpayers. That’s not a tax cut. That’s a shell game.

Yes, income thresholds would rise. Yes, about 30,000 more people would qualify. And yes, Democrats insist it’s “revenue-neutral.” But in property tax land, “revenue-neutral” means someone else pays more so government can keep collecting the same amount.

Even the fiscal note admits local governments would see revenue drops in the first years — millions of dollars that county councils will have to “manage.” Translation: higher levies, creative budgeting, or both.

Critics weren’t buying the sales pitch. One pastor testified that his 78-year-old disabled Vietnam veteran father moved to Arizona because Washington’s property taxes were too high — and this bill doesn’t even eliminate them for combat veterans. Anti-tax activist Tim Eyman bluntly reminded lawmakers that property taxes are a fixed pie: take one slice away and everyone else’s slice gets bigger.

The uncomfortable truth? If Democrats were serious about affordability, they’d reduce spending and lower the overall tax burden. Instead, they’re redistributing the pain while patting themselves on the back.

In Olympia, “property tax reform” apparently means rearranging deck chairs — while the ship keeps charging full fare. Read more at Center Square.

Democrats run Olympia. They passed their $80 billion budget and are advancing a so-called “millionaire’s tax” that functions like an income tax voters have repeatedly rejected.

Yet Rep. Julia Reed (D-Seattle) still found time to complain that Republicans were offering amendments and forcing recorded votes — accusing them of airing “grievances” and trying to make Democrats “look bad.”

She even griped about having to listen to up to ten minutes of GOP debate per speaker. Ten minutes. On a budget bill.

Apparently, accountability is now a partisan stunt. Debate is a nuisance. And recorded votes are traps.

Democrats say democracy is under threat. Judging by their reaction to basic legislative debate, what they really want is control — without the inconvenience of opposition. Read more at Seattle Red.

Gas prices are climbing nationwide as conflict escalates in the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Oil jumped more than 8% amid fears of tanker disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for 20% of the world’s oil supply.

But here’s the part Olympia won’t mention: Washington drivers were already getting hammered.

The statewide average is now $4.369 per gallon — about $1.37 higher than the national average and nearly 46% morethan what most Americans are paying. In the Seattle area, drivers are shelling out around $4.585 per gallon, more than 50% above the national average.

Washington ranks third-highest in the nation for gas prices, behind California and Hawaii. And prices here have jumped more than 40 cents in just the past month.

Yes, global instability affects oil markets. But Washington’s chronic fuel-price problem didn’t start this weekend. State taxes and climate policies have kept prices elevated long before the latest overseas crisis.

When global events push prices up, Washington drivers feel it more — because Olympia has already built a higher floor.

The world may set oil prices. But Washington policymakers make sure you pay extra. Read more at MyNorthwest.com.

A network of leftist, Seattle-based activists is circulating graphics that read: “Death to America, Death to Israel, Glory to the Martyrs, Long Live the Islamic Republic of Iran, Long Live the Axis of Resistance.”

This isn’t vague academic rhetoric. It’s explicit alignment with the Iranian regime — the same chants used by Tehran itself.

The posts were shared in collaboration with local groups including Nidal Seattle and SUPER UW, an unrecognized University of Washington student organization that continues organizing on campus. The original content came from the Tariq el-Tahrir Youth and Student Network and was amplified locally.

The messaging doesn’t just criticize U.S. or Israeli policy. It praises the Islamic Republic and the so-called “Axis of Resistance” — a term used for Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.

Seattle has long tolerated extreme activism. What’s new is the lack of pretense. These aren’t coded slogans. They’re direct calls for America’s destruction — promoted by leftist organizations operating openly in the city.

Voters can decide whether that’s “activism” — or something far more troubling. Read more at Seattle Red.

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