Progressive Taxation
Washington famously has one of the most regressive state tax codes in the country. The recent passage of Washington's capital gains tax was a step in the right direction which helped create a system in which the very wealthy pay a slightly greater proportion than they were previously, but it still only moved us from dead last to 49th of 50.
It is a common misconception that Washington's constitution makes certain kinds of taxation illegal including income taxes - the reality is more nuanced. Washington's constitution has a uniformity clause which dictates that all taxes must be structured as flat taxes.
We need a constitutional amendment to remove this uniformity clause so that we can replace our regressive sales tax with a graduated income tax. This should be structured initially as a revenue neutral swap which would effectively be a tax cut for the majority of Washingtonians.
Washington should strive to create a tax system which reliably funds core public services like schools, courts, busses, and libraries without exacerbating the financial hardships of the poor and working class while allowing ever more wealth to be consolidated in the investment accounts of the extremely wealthy.
