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Millionaire Tax Critic Says AGO, Dems Played Politics Instead of Protecting Residents
Emails and legal memos show lawmakers and state attorneys designed the tax as a test case to challenge a 1933 Supreme Court precedent.
- Newly obtained emails reveal Washington State Attorney General's office and Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen conspired to design the "millionaires' tax," Senate Bill 6346, to force the State Supreme Court to revisit a 1933 ruling declaring income is property.
- The 1933 Culliton decision established that income is property, requiring uniform taxation capped at 1%, a precedent Pedersen aims to overturn with the new 9.9% tax on households earning more than $1 million annually.
- Pedersen defended the strategy as "common practice," comparing it to legal challenges against Roe v. Wade, while deputy communications director Mike Faulk stated the office provided legal advice but took no policy position.
- Former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna and former Washington Supreme Court Justice Phil Talmadge are leading the Citizen Action Defense Fund's lawsuit, alleging the measure is an "illegal income tax."
- As businesses weigh the impact of the new tax structure, critics argue the policy harms Washington's business climate, with investment decisions shifting and some projects paused or canceled.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Columbia Gorge News
Millionaire tax critic says AGO, Dems played politics instead of protecting residents
(The Center Square) - Emails obtained by The Center Square between the Washington Attorney General and Democratic leaders show Nick Brown's staff was playing politics instead of protecting the Constitution and residents in proposing the millionaire's tax, a key critic…
Trucking company owner among small businesses suing Washington state over ‘millionaires tax’
Washington state’s newly signed income tax on high earners is already facing a legal challenge, with critics arguing it violates the state constitution and could hit small businesses.
Trucking company owner suing state over 'millionaires tax' says policy hits small businesses – Democratic Accent
Washington State’s newly signed income tax on high earners is already facing a legal challenge, with critics arguing it violates the state constitution and could hit small businesses. The measure implements a 9.9% tax on income of $1,000,000 or more for individuals and households, marking a major shift for a state that has resisted traditional income taxes. The law that established the tax was passed on March 11 and was signed by Washington Gov.…
Public records show WA's millionaires' tax crafted to overturn 1933 income tax ruling
Nearly 1,000 pages of public records obtained by The Center Square show Washington’s attorney general (AG) and Democratic lawmakers worked together to design the state’s new millionaires’ tax as a test case to overturn a 1933 Supreme Court ban on income taxes. Among those records is an August 27 email written by Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D‑Seattle, who sponsored SB 6346, which Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed into law last m…
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