As the Washington State Legislature approaches its scheduled adjournment on March 12, debate over a proposed income tax bill has intensified. Senate Bill 6346, which would introduce an income tax targeting high earners, has become a focal point of public opposition and legislative contention.
According to Sen. Jeff Wilson (R-Olympia), about 100,000 people recently logged onto the Legislature’s website to express their opposition to the proposal. “So now we can call Senate Bill 6346 the most unpopular bill in Washington state history, or at least the most unpopular bill in the five years since the Legislature has been allowing the public to share their opinions online,” Wilson said.
Despite this response, Democratic lawmakers have continued advancing budget proposals that include anticipated revenue from the income tax. The House is expected to vote on the measure soon after it passed the Senate by a 27-22 margin last week.
Wilson addressed concerns raised by some legislators who questioned whether automated bots inflated public comment numbers. He provided corrected figures after removing duplicate sign-ins: “The corrected tally for the Senate hearing is 17,679 in favor and 52,118 against. The corrected tally for the House hearing is 11,167 for and 96,498 against. And the grand total, if we add both lists together and strike duplicates, is a total 118,421 unique sign-ins against this measure.”
He further stated: “No matter how we analyze these figures, they are a record and a pretty impressive one at that. Yet our colleagues still want to quibble. They say this is hardly a bulletproof measure of public opinion. I agree. There is a much better way to go about it. What we could do is remove the emergency clause from this bill, put the tax on the ballot and give the public a chance to vote. The people of Washington have voted against an income tax ten times since 1934, and I am sure they would do it again.”
During floor debate on SB 6346 last week, Wilson joined other Republicans in warning that such an income tax could eventually expand beyond high earners.
Another significant development was what Wilson described as “a quiet defeat” for Senate Bill 5973—referred to by opponents as “the Initiative Killer” bill—which sought changes such as banning pay-per-signature drives and requiring additional steps for initiative filings. The legislation did not come up for a vote despite committee discussions and more than 10,000 people signing in against it.
On law enforcement policy, Senate Bill 5974 advanced through the Senate with provisions allowing an unelected board—the Criminal Justice Training Commission—to remove elected county sheriffs under certain circumstances. Wilson noted that Daniel Garcia of Pacific County would be affected due to new experience requirements if enacted.
Wilson also reported disappointment over his sea lion management proposal failing to advance but highlighted progress on several other bills he sponsored:
– SB 5000 designates “The Evergreen State” as Washington’s official nickname.
– SB 5552 directs regulatory development for kit homes under 800 square feet.
– SB 5840 adjusts campaign finance reporting schedules.
– SB 6149 redefines rural counties for economic development purposes.
Senator Wilson encouraged constituents to continue sharing feedback with his office via phone or survey.
