WA lawmakers review duplicate sign-ons on millionaires tax bill

Debate over Washington's millionaires tax heats up

The hottest issue of this year's legislative session continues to heat up, as Washington's so-called "millionaires tax" drew a large crowd to a House committee meeting on Tuesday.

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Allegations of fraud and impersonation in Washington’s public comment system surfaced during a House Finance Committee hearing on a proposed millionaires tax, prompting concern from lawmakers in both parties.

Committee Chair Rep. April Berg opened the hearing by informing members and the public of what she described as manipulation tied to sign-ins on the bill.

"Initial review indicates there is over 1900 duplicate records and over 200 people have been fraudulently signed on the bill without their knowledge," Berg said. "This fraud has called into question many of the sign ons on this bill."

Berg said the issue has raised concerns about the integrity of the public participation process.

"I'm very concerned that people are playing games with a tool that's really used for democracy," Berg said.

More than 19k fake sign-ins for WA's proposed 'millionaires tax'

Even before public arguments were made in committee, the millionaires income tax garnered unprecedented attention with more than 100,000 sign-ins marking pro or con, and opponents say 90% voted no, showing how unpopular the proposal is. However, supporters of the tax now claim thousands of those sign ins are fake and lawmakers are looking into it.

Lawmakers call for investigation

Rep. Ed Orcutt also addressed the matter, urging cooperation to determine what happened.

"We’re concerned that some people have taken advantage of the system," Orcutt said. "There’s 100,000 unique individuals who have signed in with concerns about this bill."

Lawmakers told FOX 13 the situation is unprecedented and said it could take weeks to determine the scope of the issue.

"We’re concerned that some people have taken advantage of the system, we are going to work with the majority party and our staff to make sure our system is as secure as possible," Orcutt said.

WA Democrats have weeks to pass millionaires tax

Democrats in Olympia only have several weeks to push their so-called "millionaires income tax" to the finish line.

FOX 13 found the sign in list for Tuesday’s hearing, which showed 130,000 people signed up. Next to some names were comments like this: "definitely not a bot."

Talks of bots come after Sen. John Braun mentioned them earlier this month in his newsletter which said in part: "More than 60,000 people signed in against SB 6346 when it received a rushed hearing in the Senate. That is so impressive that Democrats have tried to say bots are responsible, even though the Legislature blocks bots. We know better."

Rep. Berg says the fake sign ins came to their attention on Monday, when nearly 200 people reached out to them.

"Then based on that, our staff did a quick control f to see if there were any duplicates," Berg said.

Also on Monday, the group Invest in Washington Now presented evidence of this fraud.

The Chief Clerk has since told FOX 13 that they are investigating and plan on making system improvements in the future to prevent this sort of abuse. Meanwhile, a spokesman for senate democrats said their IT team is also looking into these allegations.

Regardless of the duplicated names, there’s still an unprecedented response.

"There’s over 100,000 unique individuals who have signed in with concerns about this bill," Orcutt said.

Packed hearing on divisive tax proposal

After addressing concerns about the sign-in process, committee members turned to public testimony on the proposed tax. Dozens of people signed up to speak in person and remotely.

"Our tax system is broken, it’s a century old artifact," said April Sims, president of the Washington State Labor Council.

Opponents argued the proposal could expand beyond its intended targets.

"It’s millionaires today, everyone else tomorrow," said Zak Kubin, representing Americans for Prosperity, relaying voters concerns.

Former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna testified remotely, saying the issue should go before voters rather than be decided solely by lawmakers.

Business leaders raised concerns about potential economic impacts. Construction industry representatives warned of rising costs, and Visit Seattle expressed concern the tax could reduce the number of conventions hosted in the city.

"While 23 other states are cutting taxes, Washington state is raising them at record pace," said Ryan Frost of the Washington Policy Center.

Tech executives also warned of what they described as a competitive disadvantage for the state.

"They’ll go elsewhere to keep what they’ve earned," said Brent Frei, founder and chairman of companies including Smartsheet, warning of a potential wealth exodus.

Supporters argue revenue would fund services

Supporters said the measure would generate billions of dollars for essential services and provide relief for working families through the Working Families’ Tax Credit.

"To my fellow millionaires, none of us built our wealth alone, Hans Mulders, owner of the Obertal Inn in Leavenworth. "Taxes are not punishment they are the price of a functioning society."

Many who testified in favor identified themselves as caregivers, teachers and health care workers, saying funding for critical services has fallen short.

"Again and again I watch patients struggle not with medical advice but with affordability itself," said a fourth-year medical student.

Gwen Goodfellow, a mother and primary caregiver for her son, also voiced support.

"I hear that millionaires will leave if asked to pay more," Goodfellow said. "Caregivers and vulnerable residents don’t have the option to leave."

Lawmakers signal possible revisions

After hours of testimony, lawmakers discussed whether changes to the bill are under consideration.

"We expect the number of tax reductions in the bill to increase," said Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, House majority leader.

Lawmakers indicated additional tax reductions, potentially including ideas such as a sales tax holiday, have not been ruled out as negotiations continue.

Republican leaders, speaking separately during a morning news conference, reiterated their opposition.

"Look the majority party doesn’t want to face the music that this is unpopular across our state," said Sen. Drew Macewen.

What they're saying:

Brian Heywood with the Let’s Go Washington encouraged Washingtonians to sign in against the income tax measure. He issued the following statement:

"Even with their wildest claims, this is still the most unpopular bill in history. These attempts to minimize the concerns of voters don't change the outcome, it just emphasizes how desperate they are to downplay the clear and historic rejection. The legislature set up this process for people to make their voices heard. Encouraging voters to communicate with their lawmakers is one of the most meaningful activities people can engage with in a representative government.

"NPI, WEA, and SEIU aren’t defending democracy, they’re attacking the process because they don’t like the result. Instead of resorting to procedural complaints and innuendo, they should acknowledge the obvious: this is the most unpopular bill our state has ever seen. When will NPI, SEIU, the WEA, and the majority party accept that when it comes to the income tax, no means no.

"The majority party and their affiliated PACs are quick to claim fraud when voters voice an opinion that is in opposition to their own. From questioning the legitimacy of the initiative process to suggesting that those opposed to higher taxes are bots or dishonest actors, they have demonstrated a pattern of dismissing public participation in lawmaking. Their continued fear-based rhetoric and attacks appear aimed at distracting from a simple fact: people do not want an income tax.

"Reach out to hherzberg@letsgowa.com for questions to ask the above organizations about how they plan to mount a case without any legally substantiated information."