Senate Republicans’ efforts to protect the pocketbooks of Washingtonians were brushed aside today as the majority pushed an income tax through the chamber.

Senate Bill 6346 would establish a 9.9% state income tax. While the bill currently includes a temporary $1 million exemption, Sen. Keith Wagoner warned that this is merely a “foot in the door” for a broad-based tax that will eventually target every working family in the state.

“Today is a dark day for the taxpayers of Washington,” said Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley. “The majority has chosen to willfully ignore the clear and repeated will of the people. For nearly a century, Washingtonians have gone to the ballot box and rejected an income tax 10 separate times. By passing this bill, the majority has signaled that they value their own appetite for spending more than the voices of the citizens they represent.”

During the floor debate, Senate Republicans offered numerous common-sense amendments to mitigate the damage of this new tax. Among these was an amendment supported by Wagoner specifically designed to remove the ‘marriage penalty’ inherent in the bill’s structure.

“This is an anti-marriage bill. This policy follows the worst tax policy the majority can find,” Wagoner stated during the debate. “The majority refused to accept a single Republican amendment, including a proposal to ensure that married couples aren’t unfairly penalized for their filing status. By rejecting this, they are effectively taxing the institution of marriage. It is a blatant disregard for fairness and a slap in the face to families across our state.”

Wagoner also highlighted the clear legal hurdles facing the bill. Under the Washington State Constitution and nearly 100 years of state Supreme Court precedent, income is property. As such, any tax on income must be uniform and cannot exceed 1%. SSB 6346 fails both of these constitutional tests, Wagoner said.

“This bill is fundamentally unconstitutional,” continued Wagoner. “The majority could have written a constitutional income tax if they wanted to, but they chose not to do so. Instead, their only hope is that judicial activism will win the day over our state’s founding documents. Instead of fixing our regressive tax system by lowering the sales tax, they are simply piling a new, illegal burden on top of it.”

With the bill now heading to the House of Representatives, Wagoner is calling on all Washingtonians to make their voices heard before it reaches the governor’s desk.

“This fight is not over. I am urging every citizen who values the constitution and their hard-earned paycheck to contact their lawmakers in the House and the governor’s office immediately,” Wagoner concluded. “Tell them that ‘no’ means ‘no.’ We cannot allow Olympia to ignore the voters and the Constitution any longer. We must stop this income tax before it becomes a permanent burden on all Washingtonians.”