WA House passes 'millionaires tax' after 24-hour debate session
WA House marathon debate underway over 'millionaires tax'
Lawmakers in Olympia have spent hours arguing over the most hotly-contested issue of the 2026 legislative session: the millionaires tax.
OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington House of Representatives has passed the highly contested "millionaires tax" after a lengthy, intense debate that stretched over 24 hours.
House Republicans and Democrats debated and voted on multiple amendments from 5 p.m. Monday until 6 p.m. Tuesday before advancing the revised bill to the Senate.
What To Know:
The legislation calls for a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million for individuals or couples in a household. Lawmakers anticipate the measure will help address the state’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit, while also looking to ease financial pressure for working families and small business owners.
Millionaires tax moves forward in Washington legislature
The controversial push to tax the income of millionaires in Washington state has advanced one more step, and is expected to make it to the full House for a vote next week.
Gov. Bob Ferguson, who previously raised concerns about earlier versions of the bill, said he would sign the measure with new amendments that added affordability investments. Those include free school breakfast and lunch, expanded Working Families Tax Credit eligibility, sales tax exemptions on hygiene products, diapers and over-the-counter drugs, and more.
The other side:
However, Republicans argued the proposal is unconstitutional, warning it could easily be misinterpreted and expand beyond millionaires. To delay its passage, Republican representatives proposed 60 different amendments, requiring an oral roll call for each vote.
While Democrats are ready for the governor to sign off on the millionaires tax, Republicans say they intend to take this battle all the way to the courts.
What's next:
The bill has already passed the Senate, but because it underwent major changes in the House, it will now return to the Senate for approval before advancing to the governor's desk.
The 2026 Washington State Legislative Session is set to end March 12.
WA lawmakers continue debate over 'millionaires tax'
House Republicans and Democrats continue to debate over the highly contested "millionaires tax" Monday night into Tuesday morning.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Legislature and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting.