This story was originally published on my northwest website.
A controversial tax on millionaires is one step closer to becoming law.
After nearly four hours of debate on Monday, the Washington state Senate voted 27-22 to pass Senate Bill 6346, which would impose a 9.9% tax on Washington residents making more than $1 million a year.
Lawmakers voted largely along party lines to pass the bill, with a majority of Democrats supporting it. Democratic Senator Lisa Wellman is one of them.
“This is not about punishing rich people, rich Washingtonians. It’s just about requiring proportionality in our tax structure at a time when the gap between rich and poor has never been greater,” she said before the vote.
Republican Sen. Chris Gilden voted against it, and critics said the bill opened the door to future taxes on the middle class.
“If this bill passes today, a future legislature could easily come back and lower the threshold from $1 million to $500,000 to $250,000; they could apply it to anyone they want,” he said before the bill passed the Senate.
Democrats and Republicans clash over ‘millionaire tax’
The tax was approved by the Senate Ways and Means Committee last week.
Before the vote, Democratic Senator Yasmine Trudeau said the proposal was aimed at “leveling the playing field” between the state’s wealthiest residents and those struggling to make ends meet.
Republican Sen. Perry Dozier argued the measure would do nothing to make the state more affordable.
Republican members also proposed several amendments without success, including one to lock in the 9.9% tax rate and $1 million threshold and another to remove emergency provisions that prevent voters from participating.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives.
Contributors: Frank Lenzi and Aaron Granillo, KIRO News Radio; Julia Dallas, My Northwest
