Why 2 WA Democrats don’t support the millionaires tax. ‘Families are struggling’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Senate Bill 6346 would tax household income over $1 million at a 9.9% rate.
- Some Democrats, including LD26’s Krishnadasan and Richards, oppose the tax.
- Supporters say revenue funds key services; opponents cite legality and fairness risks.
It seems that most Washington Democrats are rallying behind a proposed income tax on high earners that supporters have nicknamed the “millionaires tax.”
Most — not all.
Two of those in the “opposed” camp hail from Gig Harbor: Democratic Sen. Deb Krishnadasan and Rep. Adison Richards, both from the 26th Legislative District.
Senate Bill 6346 passed off the Senate floor last week on a 27-22 vote, with only Democratic support. Three Dems voted no: Krishnadasan, plus senators Drew Hansen of Bainbridge Island and Adrian Cortes of Battle Ground.
The controversial bill would impose a 9.9% levy on household income exceeding $1 million a year.
Advocates argue the tax is needed to make the wealthy pay their fair share while slashing taxes for millions of others, and that it would help fund crucial services, health care and public education. Opponents cast doubt on its constitutionality, warning that passing the policy would open the door to eventually lower the tax threshold to apply to non-wealthy residents, too.
Krishnadasan said in an emailed statement that she supports meaningful relief for those in need. She also gave a nod to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s push for state lawmakers to tack on sales tax holidays and additional offsets.
But more needs to be done, Krishnadasan said.
“Right now, families are struggling with the rising costs of housing, groceries, childcare, and everyday essentials,” she said. “The relief offered in this bill, while a step in the right direction, simply does not go far enough to provide the immediate and substantial support that families need today.”
House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, a Tacoma Democrat, told reporters last week that there’s solid support for the measure within her caucus. More than three dozen lower-chamber Democrats put their names on the bill’s House companion.
A more moderate Democrat, Kirkland Rep. Amy Walen, isn’t among them.
Walen has indicated that she wouldn’t back the Senate’s income-tax take, The Washington Observer reports. She introduced a bill and constitutional amendment with her own spin, such as bumping the taxable threshold for married couples from $1 million to $2 million.
Richards has also voiced his dismay with the idea. In a recent op-ed for The News Tribune, the Gig Harbor Democrat argued that the state needs to deliver on affordability, but that new taxes — including the millionaires tax — aren’t the way to do it.
In a video call Friday, Richards said his tax-system views stem from conversations he’s had with constituents. People in his district feel like the state isn’t really addressing the tax code’s regressivity, he said. He added he’s also worried about the implications that the proposal would have for local small businesses already struggling with modest margins.
Richards said his messaging on taxes has been consistent since he began running for office three years ago, and that his income-tax stance isn’t new, either.
He said he’s in alignment with Krishnadasan.
“We agree that we want our tax system to be more fair,” he said, “but it doesn’t become more fair by just adding taxes.”
Democratic lawmakers passed a raft of revenue policies last session, amounting to the largest tax hike in state history.
Republican state Rep. Michelle Valdez (formerly Caldier) of Gig Harbor said Friday that her district has overwhelmingly stated it doesn’t support a state income tax. But she thinks the Democratic majority is taking recent progressive electoral wins, plus that of Seattle’s new democratic socialist mayor, as signs that residents are comfortable with Washington’s taxes.
Valdez expects that SB 6346 will be tested in the courts and pointed out that revenue wouldn’t be collected until 2029 at the earliest.
“This money is not going to fix any current issues that we have,” she said. “This money is just for future spending.”
Richards said he shares concerns with Republicans that the pitch wouldn’t mend Washington’s ongoing budget problems, and that the threshold for the tax’s application might eventually be lowered. Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen of Seattle, for instance, has said that although this proposal’s floor is $1 million, lawmakers lack the ability to bind future Legislatures from changing the limit.
In Richards’ view, the state should reexamine its spending habits, priorities, programs and budgetary commitments while making the tax system more fair — particularly for low- and middle-income families, seniors on fixed incomes and small businesses.
“It’s just vitally important that we get this absolutely right at a very critical juncture in our state’s history,” he said.
SB 6346 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Finance Committee on Tuesday at 8 a.m., and for an executive session in the same committee on Friday at 8 a.m.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Why 2 WA Democrats don’t support the millionaires tax. ‘Families are struggling’."
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