Tension rising over how to spend revenue from proposed WA income tax
A day after the Washington state Senate approved an income tax on millionaire earners, Gov. Bob Ferguson said he’s still not satisfied with the bill.
He’s previously preached the need to pump a significant portion of the proceeds toward tax relief. On Tuesday, he said lawmakers hadn’t gone far enough and offered his blueprint for using income tax revenue to dial back taxes for lower-income families and small businesses.
“This bill must be laser-focused on making life more affordable for Washingtonians and continuing to improve areas like K through 12 education,” the first-term Democrat said during a press conference Tuesday. “We are not there yet, and we are still not close to being there.”
In addition to a 9.9% tax on adjusted gross household income above $1 million a year, the bill includes provisions to devote a sizable chunk of the resulting revenue to tax relief. It does not have a mechanism to lock in money for public schools, and Ferguson did not propose one.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/02/17/tension-rising-over-how-to-spend-revenue-from-proposed-wa-income-tax/