Washington State Politics

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.

Democratic lawmakers in Olympia unveiled supplemental budget proposals Monday that would increase state spending by $1.5 billion, despite a looming $2 billion deficit. The plans rely heavily on tapping Washington’s "Rainy Day" fund, with the House and Senate eyeing withdrawals of up to $880 million to cover rising costs and federal funding cuts. Republicans are criticizing the move, arguing it leaves the state with dangerously low reserves and relies on "one-time gimmicks."

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

Washington state has over 100 data centers, but some lawmakers in Olympia are concerned they could be using critical resources, at a cost to the public.

There's just three weeks left in this year's legislative session and as lawmakers sprint towards the finish line, the road behind them is littered with dead bills.

Washington's estate tax is the highest in the country after legislature passed an increase last year, but now it's on the way to a potential rollback to what it used to be.

With the Senate passing the so-called "millionaires income tax," it is now on the House side with less than a month left before the legislature is done for the year.

With the Senate passing the so-called "millionaires income tax," it is now on the House side with less than a month left before the legislature is done for the year.

The crowd of residents gathered at the Washington Capitol building in Olympia on Monday to rally and advocate for reproductive healthcare, transgender rights, and services for crime victims. Additionally, they advocated for Senate Bill 6182.

After opposing proposed federal cuts, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray stopped in Seattle to spotlight $48.7 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health, including a $415 million increase to support biomedical research and protect thousands of jobs in Washington state.

A bill moving through the Washington Legislature would allow certain inmates convicted of serious violent and sex offenses to earn up to one-third off their sentences for good behavior, drawing sharp debate between victims’ advocates and criminal justice reform supporters.

The fight to tax the income of Washington millionaires continues to be fast tracked through the legislature, and supporters rallied outside the steps of the Capitol Building in Olympia on Tuesday.

With the penny slowly being counted out, lawmakers in Washington are working on a bill that would require businesses to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel.