State Sen. Drew MacEwen issued a scathing response today following the Senate majority’s passage of Senate Bill 6346. The legislation would establish a new state income tax, a move MacEwen argues is both unconstitutional and a betrayal of the working people of Washington.
“Washington is watching the majority embark on an insatiable quest for more revenue, fueled by budget priorities that are completely out of whack,” said MacEwen, R-Shelton. “While other states across the country are finding ways to eliminate property taxes or reduce the burden on primary residences, Washington is essentially saying, ‘Hold my microbrew and watch this—we’re going to give you the largest tax increase in history.’ This isn’t about solving a financial crisis; it’s about a government that can’t stop spending.”
MacEwen, speaking from the Senate floor ahead of the 27-22 vote, argued that the bill fails to address the actual needs of his constituents, who are more concerned about losing their homes to property taxes than “sticking it to the rich.”
“The argument that this ‘fixes’ our tax code would only be true if there were real relief for the middle class and working people. There isn’t,” said MacEwen, who serves as Senate Republican Deputy Leader. “This bill takes more money, spends 95 percent of it to grow state government, and distributes a few crumbs to the public while telling them to be thankful. It’s insulting. I get emails every day from families on the verge of losing their homes because of property taxes. There is no relief for them here—just more ‘pie crust’ promises: easily made and easily broken.”
In an effort to protect the public’s right to weigh in on the monumental shift in tax policy, MacEwen offered an amendment to ensure the bill could be challenged via a voter referendum. The majority party rejected the amendment, a decision MacEwen says signals a fear of the voters.
“This is the most monumental change in tax structure in our state’s history, yet the majority is setting it up in a fashion that prohibits the people from saying ‘no.’ It flies in the face of decency. If this policy is so righteous, what are they so afraid of? Why are they so afraid of the people’s voices?”
MacEwen noted that capital is mobile, and the state’s aggressive tax stance threatens Washington’s economic competitiveness.
“We are choosing to be an outlier in the worst way possible,” he concluded. “We are punishing success and ignoring the struggles of the average homeowner to fund a state government that has grown at an astronomical rate compared to the private sector.”
SB 6346 now moves to the House of Representatives.