{"id":2972,"date":"2026-02-05T17:28:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T00:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/stanford\/?p=2972"},"modified":"2026-04-22T14:47:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:47:40","slug":"making-our-tax-code-fairer-protecting-communities-from-federal-overreach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/stanford\/2026\/02\/05\/making-our-tax-code-fairer-protecting-communities-from-federal-overreach\/","title":{"rendered":"Making our tax code fairer + protecting communities from federal overreach"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear friends and neighbors,\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s\u00a0time to fix our\u00a0nearly century-old\u00a0tax code to make it fairer for working and middle-income families. A\u00a0<\/span>Millionaires Tax<\/span><\/a>, introduced in the Legislature this week, will help by asking the wealthiest Washingtonians to pay a little more to fund schools, health care, and reduce taxes for working families and small businesses. A 9.9% tax on annual income in excess of $1 million would affect fewer than 0.5% of Washingtonians and generate an estimated $3.7 billion each year. The proposal would also allow for the expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit to help more families, a sales tax cut for personal hygiene and grooming products, the doubling of the small business occupation tax exemption, and funding to help counties pay for our criminal justice system.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A hearing on\u00a0<\/span>SB 6346<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6 at 1:30 p.m. i<\/span>n the Senate Ways & Means Committee. You can sign in to\u00a0<\/span>testify<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>share your position here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Senate passes bill to ban ICE from wearing face coverings<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I was horrified to see federal agents murder a second law-abiding American citizen in Minnesota. Alex Pretti and Renee Good should still be here today. In Washington state, we are listening to your concerns about masked agents roaming our streets\u00a0and\u00a0generally acting\u00a0with impunity. This is not normal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Last week, we passed a bill to prohibit\u00a0all\u00a0law enforcement officers\u00a0operating\u00a0in our state, including federal immigration agents,\u00a0from covering their faces\u00a0while interacting with the public.\u00a0<\/span>We\u00a0already\u00a0have a clear expectation for\u00a0state and local\u00a0law enforcement\u00a0officers\u00a0to be clearly identifiable<\/span>, with limited exceptions.\u00a0<\/span>All law enforcement doing work in our state should be held to the same standard.\u00a0<\/span>Senate Bill 5855<\/span><\/a>\u00a0would\u00a0also\u00a0allow individuals detained by unlawfully masked agents to\u00a0sue those officers for damages. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I appreciate Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown\u2019s\u00a0statements\u00a0<\/span>denouncing federal agents\u2019 actions in Minneapolis.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0They are also\u00a0<\/span>taking steps to prepare<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in the event\u00a0that\u00a0ICE launches a similar operation here in Washington.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Democrats in Olympia are\u00a0working\u00a0hard\u00a0to push back against federal overreach in every way possible to protect the rights of all people.\u00a0Here are some of the other bills\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0working to pass:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n