Advocacy

Welcome to NPI’s Advocacy page. Here, you can find our advocacy campaigns, legislative priorities, and Statehouse Bill Tracker, a tool for keeping tabs on what is happening under the dome in the Washington State Capitol. Not familiar with our work? Learn more about NPI and what we do.

Legislative Priorities for 2023

The Northwest Progressive Institute’s 2023 Washington State legislative priorities are:

  • Strengthen our democracy by abolishing Tim Eyman’s push polls (“advisory votes”), empowering cities to move their elections to even years, providing public funding for campaigns, increasing transparency of expenditures intended to influence legislation, and updating our public disclosure laws;
  • Build a more progressive tax code by levying a wealth tax on billionaire fortunes, expanding the estate tax, improving the Working Families Tax Credit, and enacting a homestead exemption and renter’s credit to help low and middle income-families;
  • Increase funding for attainable and affordable housing, prioritize the density of new development near public transit to reduce car usage, and require trees near new housing to reduce air pollution and heat island impacts;
  • Improve sustainability by wisely investing Climate Commitment Act revenue, investing in salmon habitat to protect fish and our critically endangered orcas, passing the Washington Recycling and Packaging Act, adopting right to repair, and requiring all counties to include climate resiliency in their Growth Management Act planning;
  • Uphold the state’s paramount duty by dedicating additional resources to special education, school nurses, K-12 libraries, and music programs, along with more grant funding to empower districts to retrofit or replace seismically vulnerable structures;
  • Protect reproductive rights by empowering the attorney general to block hospital mergers if they jeopardize access to abortion care, indemnify companies based in Washington that help employees in other states get abortions, and advance a constitutional amendment to recognize Washingtonians’ family planning rights;
  • Create safer communities by banning military style assault weapons and equipping local governments with the tools needed to send unarmed first responders trained to address behavorial health crises to aid mentally ill individuals disturbing the peace;
  • Enhance equity and social justice by addressing the alarming rise of hate crimes, repealing the ban on affirmative action, abolishing the death penalty, and requiring proposed legislation to be reviewed through an equity lens.

Statehouse Bill Tracker

A tool for monitoring the Washington State Legislature

Introduction: The Statehouse Bill Tracker is an NPI project that makes tracking priority legislation simple and easy. The Tracker aggregates feeds for bills “with legs”, providing an up-to-date view of what’s moving in the statehouse at any given time during session. Bills are sorted by activity. The most recently active bills appear at the top and the least active bills appear at the bottom.

When something happens to a bill, we call that an action.

An action could be a bill’s introduction, public hearing in committee, vote on the floor, proposed amendment, or referral to another committee; all these are examples of steps in the legislative process. (See this page for a visual explanation of how a bill becomes a law). Actions affect the placement of bills in the tracker. Here’s a longer explanation:

  1. Bills are sorted in reverse chronological order. The most active bills will always appear at the top. Bills with little activity will sink to the bottom like a heavy stone settling at the bottom of a creek bed after being washed downstream by a flood.
  2. A green dot next to a bill number update indicates the bill reflects progressive values and enjoys our support. Conversely, red octagon (stop sign) indicates that we oppose the bill because it would implement policies that are contrary to progressive values. Finally, a yellow triangle means we have concerns about a bill, but are not working for its defeat.
  3. Assessments of bills are provided by NPI and organizations that we work with, such as the Washington State Labor Council or the Environmental Priorities Coalition. The person/entity that analyzed the bill and provided the wording is always listed to the left of the assessment.
  4. It is possible to view a bill’s full history without clicking away, as long as JavaScript is enabled. Simply click on the blue link that says “Click to view” and the bill history will slide out for easy viewing. (It can be hidden again using the same link, which will change to say “Click to hide”). If JavaScript is not enabled, the bill history may still be viewed, either by clicking the bill number to go to the Legislature’s website or by viewing the source of this page.

Now, let’s find out what’s moving in the statehouse!

Browse Active Legislation

Senate Bill 5217 (Protects Workers and Repeals the BIAW's I-841)

Official Description: Concerning the state's ability to regulate certain industries and risk classes to prevent musculoskeletal injuries and disorders.
Current Status: (March 30, 2023) Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 1:30 PM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Dhingra
Cosponsors: Kauffman, Keiser, Kuderer, Lovelett, Nguyen, Nobles, Pedersen, Valdez, Wilson, C.
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: SB 5217 would get rid of a twenty year old right wing initiative created by the Building Industry Association of Washington that overturned ergonomics regulations. Under the bill, the Department of Labor & Industries will regain the authority to adopt reasonable rules to protect Washington workers from musculoskeletal injuries and disorders. NPI strongly supports this legislation.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1240 (Assault Weapons Ban)

Official Description: Establishing firearms-related safety measures to increase public safety.
Current Status: (March 28, 2023) Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 10:30 AM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Peterson
Cosponsors: Senn, Alvarado, Walen, Street, Springer, Simmons, Reeves, Reed, Ormsby, Kloba, Fitzgibbon, Duerr, Doglio, Berry, Bateman, Fey, Davis, Ramel, Bergquist, Fosse, Pollet, Lekanoff, Macri, Gregerson, Santos
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: House Bill 1240 would prohibit the manufacture, importation, distribution, sale, or offer for sale of any assault weapon, subject to various exceptions for licensed firearm manufacturers and dealers, and for individuals who inherit an assault weapon. This is the House version of legislation requested by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, which NPI's polling shows a majority of Washingtonians strongly support.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1337 (Preempting Local Regulations for Backyard Cottages)

Official Description: Expanding housing options by easing barriers to the construction and use of accessory dwelling units.
Current Status: (March 28, 2023) Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs at 9:00 AM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Gregerson
Cosponsors: Barkis, Berry, Christian, Duerr, Fitzgibbon, Taylor, Ramel, Reeves, Simmons, Walen, Graham, Bateman, Reed, Lekanoff, Doglio, Tharinger, Cortes, Macri, Stonier
Our Position: NPI has concerns about this bill.
Assessment by NPI: NPI supports the intent of this bill, but has concerns about some of the specific provisions, namely the language in Section 4 that declares: "A city or county may not impose setback requirements, yard coverage limits, tree retention mandates, restrictions on entry door locations, aesthetic requirements, or requirements for design review for accessory dwelling units that are more restrictive than those for principal units." This language could have the effect of weakening tree protection rules and other regulations created to require responsible development and promote livable communities.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1329 (Extreme Heat Utility Shutoff Moratorium)

Official Description: Preventing utility shutoffs for nonpayment during extreme heat.
Current Status: (March 28, 2023) Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 1:30 PM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Mena
Cosponsors: Alvarado, Berry, Duerr, Leavitt, Morgan, Ramel, Ryu, Senn, Simmons, Timmons, Kloba, Bateman, Slatter, Orwall, Reed, Lekanoff, Gregerson, Doglio, Tharinger, Cortes, Donaghy, Pollet, Callan, Fosse, Macri, Davis, Stonier
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: This bill "prohibits utility providers from discontinuing electric service and drinking water to residential customers during days of extreme heat" and is request legislation from Attorney General Bob Ferguson. Its passage would be another step forward for equity and economic justice.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1355 (Wider Eligibility for Reduced Property Tax Obligations)

Official Description: Updating property tax exemptions for service-connected disabled veterans and senior citizens.
Current Status: (March 28, 2023) Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Wylie
Cosponsors: Slatter, Orcutt, Harris, Leavitt, Orwall, Walen, Christian, Couture, Rule, Senn, Stokesbary, Graham, Kloba, Reed, Paul, Donaghy, Pollet, Callan
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: HB 1355 "expands the qualifying income thresholds for the property tax exemption and deferral programs for low-income senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and veterans, allowing the program to keep up with inflation, and making many more people eligible," King County Assessor John Arthur Wilson's office says. "The bill immediately raises the current threshold by 5%, and ties future increases to the most recent County Median Household Income level. In King County this will raise the income eligibility level from roughly $58,000 per year to just over $72,000 per year."
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Bill 5536 (Flawed Response to Blake Decision)

Official Description: Concerning controlled substances, counterfeit substances, and legend drug possession and treatment.
Current Status: (March 28, 2023) Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry at 4:00 PM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Robinson
Cosponsors: Lovick, Rolfes, Mullet, Dhingra, Billig, Hasegawa, Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, Lovelett, Nobles, Randall, Stanford, Wellman, Wilson, C.
Our Position: NPI opposes this bill.
Assessment by NPI: "Creating new criminal penalties for drug possession would repeat the mistakes of the past, pour money into revolving jail doors instead of programs that work, and continue the failed legacy and racist outcomes of the War on Drugs," the ACLU says. "Politicians' attempts to use arrests to deter drug use will end the way they always have: escalating overdose deaths, racially disparate law enforcement, and outcomes that depend on where you live and how much money you have. SSB 5536 will just do more of the same." The bill has undergone many changes since it was originally introduced, but the most progressive members of the Senate all opposed it on final passage. NPI likewise opposes E2SSB 5536.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1110 (Missing Middle Housing)

Official Description: Increasing middle housing in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family detached housing.
Current Status: (March 24, 2023) Referred to Ways & Means.
Prime Sponsor: Bateman
Cosponsors: Barkis, Reed, Taylor, Riccelli, Berry, Fitzgibbon, Peterson, Duerr, Lekanoff, Alvarado, Street, Ryu, Ramel, Cortes, Doglio, Macri, Mena, Gregerson, Thai, Bergquist, Farivar, Wylie, Stonier, Pollet, Santos, Fosse, Ormsby
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: This legislation seeks to make it easier to build what's known as "missing middle housing" (duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and so on) in Washington by requiring most cities planning under the Growth Management Act to authorize minimum development densities in residential zones. The legislation has been amended since its introduction and more work may be needed to ensure local tree protection ordinances and other regulations are not weakened by the changes to state law to foster the construction of attainable housing.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Bill 5078 (Firearm Industry Responsibility & Gun Violence Victims’ Access to Justice Act)

Official Description: Protecting public safety by establishing duties of firearm industry members.
Current Status: (March 24, 2023) Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 10:30 AM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Pedersen
Cosponsors: Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Kuderer, Liias, Nguyen, Nobles, Rolfes, Saldaña, Stanford, Trudeau, Valdez, Wellman
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: This legislation requires gun manufacturers and dealers to "take reasonable steps to prevent their products from getting into the hands of dangerous individuals." It subjects the gun industry to liability if it fails to "establish, implement and enforce reasonable controls in the manufacture, sale, distribution and marketing of firearms." The legislation is both practical and constitutional and will give victims of gun violence access to justice. Similar legislation has been adopted in Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and California. NPI strongly supports this bill.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1155 (Washington My Health My Data Act)

Official Description: Addressing the collection, sharing, and selling of consumer health data.
Current Status: (March 24, 2023) Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
Prime Sponsor: Slatter
Cosponsors: Street, Reed, Ryu, Berg, Alvarado, Taylor, Bateman, Ramel, Senn, Goodman, Fitzgibbon, Macri, Simmons, Reeves, Lekanoff, Orwall, Duerr, Thai, Gregerson, Wylie, Ortiz-Self, Stonier, Pollet, Riccelli, Donaghy, Fosse, Ormsby
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: This bill, requested by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, seeks to close the gap on health data privacy protections and regulate entities not required to follow HIPAA. It prohibits the selling Washingtonians’ health data, blocking health tracking apps and advertisers from collecting and selling Washingtonians’ health data without their consent, barring location-specific targeting of people who visit reproductive and gender affirming healthcare facilities, and requiring companies to maintain and publish a privacy policy for people’s health data.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Bill 5082 (Repealing and Replacing "Advisory Votes")

Official Description: Encouraging electoral participation and making ballots more meaningful by abolishing advisory votes.
Current Status: (March 23, 2023) Referred to Rules 2 Review.
Prime Sponsor: Kuderer
Cosponsors: Hunt
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: SB 5082 would repeal part of an old Tim Eyman initiative that forces Washington's thirty-nine counties to waste precious resources on "advisory votes" -- fake ballot measures that falsely purport to give voters an opportunity to weigh in on revenue increases passed by the Legislature. Advisory votes -- which are really anti-tax messages written by Eyman and thus do not measure anything -- are costly, deceptive, and unconstitutional, and NPI strongly supports getting rid of them. The bill would also increase transparency of the Legislature by requiring more information about the Legislature's fiscal decisions to be published online, with access instructions offered in the voter's pamphlet. Adoption of this legislation is a top NPI legislative priority for 2023. This is the Senate version.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1181 (Considering Climate in Future Public Planning)

Official Description: Improving the state's response to climate change by updating the state's planning framework.
Current Status: (March 23, 2023) Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Duerr
Cosponsors: Fitzgibbon, Berry, Peterson, Ryu, Alvarado, Taylor, Reed, Walen, Bateman, Ramel, Goodman, Doglio, Macri, Callan, Simmons, Lekanoff, Gregerson, Bergquist, Stonier, Pollet, Davis, Kloba, Riccelli, Mena, Tharinger
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: Requested by Governor Jay Inslee, HB 1181 seeks to improve the state's response to climate damage by updating the state's planning framework. The bill adds a climate component to the Growth Management Act and requires most local jurisdictions to "address the adverse impacts of climate damage on people, property, and ecological systems, and identify actions the jurisdiction will take to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) under the climate change and resiliency element of their comprehensive plan." A recent amendment to the bill adds a requirement that local governments add an "evaluation of tree canopy coverage within the urban growth area" to the parks and recreation element of their comprehensive plans, which is a big win. NPI supports this bill.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1392 (Fair Repair Act, also known as Right to Repair)

Official Description: Promoting the fair servicing and repair of digital electronic equipment.
Current Status: (March 22, 2023) Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 8:00 AM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Gregerson
Cosponsors: Kretz, Ryu, Dent, Berry, Fitzgibbon, Reed, Ramel, Pollet, Macri
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: This legislation is the 2023 iteration of the right to repair legislation that Representative Mia Gregerson has been championing for several years, which NPI's research has found strong support for. It requires digital electronic equipment manufacturers to make available, on fair and reasonable terms, any parts, tools, and documentation required for the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of that equipment as well as parts.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Bill 5257 (School Recess for All WA Public Students)

Official Description: Ensuring elementary school students receive sufficient daily recess.
Current Status: (March 20, 2023) Third reading, passed; yeas, 81; nays, 15; absent, 0; excused, 2.
Prime Sponsor: Nobles
Cosponsors: Wilson, C., Billig, Cleveland, Dozier, Frame, Hasegawa, Hunt, Liias, Lovelett, Lovick, Nguyen, Saldaña, Valdez, Wellman
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: "Senate Bill 5257 would ensure sufficient daily recess in Washington State and help end the outdated practice of withholding recess, which disproportionately affects students of color and those with disabilities," explains Linnea Westerlind. NPI agrees and strongly supports this bill to improve the health of students in Washington's K-12 public schools.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1340 (Safe Haven for Abortion Access)

Official Description: Concerning actions by health professions disciplining authorities against license applicants and license holders.
Current Status: (March 16, 2023) Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
Prime Sponsor: Riccelli
Cosponsors: Thai, Berry, Ormsby, Chopp, Macri, Bergquist, Bateman, Simmons, Stonier, Berg, Duerr, Wylie, Senn, Taylor, Fitzgibbon, Cortes, Goodman, Reed, Lekanoff
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: As summarized by Democratic caucus staff, this legislation "ensures that health providers can’t be disciplined or have their license denied for 'unprofessional conduct' if that was the result of providing reproductive health services or gender affirming care in accordance with Washington state law, regardless of where the patient resides." This is the House version.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1131 (WRAP Act)

Official Description: Improving Washington's solid waste management outcomes.
Current Status: (March 13, 2023) Returned to Rules Committee for second reading.
Prime Sponsor: Berry
Cosponsors: Doglio, Reed, Fitzgibbon, Taylor, Pollet, Ryu, Ortiz-Self, Ramel, Callan, Macri, Simmons, Chopp, Lekanoff, Duerr, Wylie, Stonier, Kloba
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: Prime sponsor Liz Berry says that this bill will "modernize the way our state manages recycling, putting costs of the system onto producers of packaging and paper and significantly increasing our recycling rate. Not only will producers pay for curbside recycling services, but they will be incentivized through the fee structure to reduce unnecessary packaging and design products that are more recyclable. That means producers of difficult-to-recycle products like chip bags would pay higher fees while easier-to-recycle products like paper and aluminum would have lower fees. This program is already used in neighboring British Columbia, where their recycling program collects more than 90% of all packaging and paper from residents." This is one of the environmental priorities coalition's key 2023 objectives and is also an NPI priority.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Joint Resolution 8202 (Protecting Reproductive Freedom in the Constitution)

Official Description: Amending the Constitution to address reproductive freedom.
Current Status: (March 10, 2023) Senate Rules "X" file.
Prime Sponsor: Keiser
Cosponsors: Kuderer
Our Position: NPI supports this joint resolution.
Assessment by NPI: This proposed constitutional amendment would protect Washingtonians' reproductive freedom decisions, including the "the individual's fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and the individual's fundamental right to choose to use contraception."
Weigh in: Comment on this joint resolution using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Bill 5047 (Washington Voting Rights Act Updates)

Official Description: Enhancing the Washington voting rights act.
Current Status: (March 10, 2023) Senate Rules "X" file.
Prime Sponsor: Saldaña
Cosponsors: Trudeau, Nguyen, Wilson, C., Dhingra
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: This bill would update language in several sections of the Washington Voting Rights Act as well as add new provisions that give courts more direction for resolving future lawsuits filed under the WVRA, including an ability for people and organizations that bring a voting rights action to obtain reimbursement for research costs they incur in litigating voting justice for a particular local jurisdiction.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Bill 5241 (Keep Our Care Act)

Official Description: Concerning material changes to the operations and governance structure of participants in the health care marketplace.
Current Status: (March 10, 2023) Senate Rules "X" file.
Prime Sponsor: Randall
Cosponsors: Rolfes, Kuderer, Trudeau, Pedersen, Shewmake, Hunt, Saldaña, Kauffman, Valdez, Lovick, Robinson, Lovelett, Liias, Frame, Nguyen, Stanford, Wilson, C.
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: Proposed by Deputy Majority Leader Emily Randall, SB 5241 "prohibits hospitals from merging if the consolidation diminishes patients’ access to services — including reproductive, end-of-life and gender-affirming care — by creating a system of public oversight that ensures people’s needs are prioritized over corporate growth. If passed, it would only apply to future consolidations that receive authorization from the state attorney general," as summarized by Democratic caucus staff.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Bill 5723 (Even Year Elections for Cities and Towns)

Official Description: Giving cities and towns the freedom to switch their general elections to even-numbered years.
Current Status: (March 10, 2023) Senate Rules "X" file.
Prime Sponsor: Valdez
Cosponsors: Kuderer, Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Keiser, Liias, Lovelett, Nguyen, Nobles, Pedersen, Randall, Shewmake, Stanford
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: Senate Bill 5723 is NPI's groundbreaking legislation to allow cities and towns to switch the regular elections for their executive and legislative positions to even years if they wish, to raise and diversify their voter turnout. Currently, state law requires cities and towns to hold their elections in odd years, precluding them from having a choice. This bill, developed by NPI with Senator Javier Valdez, would give them back the freedom to decide their own timing, a freedom they used to have until the 1960s.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Bill 5486 (Levying a Wealth Tax on Large Fortunes)

Official Description: Investing in Washington families and creating a more fair tax system by enacting a narrowly tailored property tax on extreme wealth derived from the ownership of stocks, bonds, and other financial intangible property.
Current Status: (March 9, 2023) Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 4:00 PM (Subject to change).
Prime Sponsor: Frame
Cosponsors: Nguyen, Robinson, Wellman, Hunt, Dhingra, Saldaña, Van De Wege, Wilson, C., Kuderer, Trudeau, Keiser, Stanford, Conway, Lovelett, Lovick, Hasegawa, Valdez, Cleveland
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: This legislation (Senate version) would establish a one percent tax on intangible personal property in excess of $250 million, meaning that only Washingtonians with $250 million or more in wealth would pay it. "Taxing extreme wealth, specifically that of ultra-millionaires and billionaires, through a state wealth tax is a pragmatic step for Washington state to take," the Economic Opportunity Institute's Carolyn Brotherton explained in a policy brief published last year. NPI agrees. The ultra-rich's private fortunes were created with the help of public infrastructure that taxpayers paid for, and they have an obligation to pay it forward by investing in Washington's future. It is patriotic to be a taxpayer and pay your dues, and this wealth tax legislation will ensure that Washington's wealthiest individuals are doing their part to help the Evergreen State thrive.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

Senate Bill 5199 (Exempting Local Journalism from B&O Tax)

Official Description: Providing tax relief for newspaper publishers.
Current Status: (February 22, 2023) Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
Prime Sponsor: Mullet
Cosponsors: Conway, Dozier, Holy, Keiser, Lovelett, Nguyen, Shewmake, Valdez
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: This legislation, requested by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, would help media businesses remain going concerns during a challenging time for the news business. The office explains: "Newspapers currently pay a reduced B&O tax rate, but that preferential tax rate expires in July of 2024. Consistent with the Legislative Auditor’s recommendation, Senate Bill 5199/House Bill 1206 expands the preference to fully eliminate the B&O tax for newspaper publishers and printers. This legislation also extends the same rate to exclusively online news outlets that provide a similar public benefit as printed papers." At NPI, we are strong advocates for a fair and just tax code, and have lobbied for an end to an unnecessary, unjustified tax exemptions and tax preferences. This is an example of a preference that we believe is in the public interest -- because it has the potential to help businesses that perform an essential service that Washingtonians need.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)

House Bill 1473 (Levying a Wealth Tax on Large Fortunes)

Official Description: Investing in Washington families and creating a more fair tax system by enacting a narrowly tailored property tax on extreme wealth derived from the ownership of stocks, bonds, and other financial intangible property.
Current Status: (February 14, 2023) Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM.
Prime Sponsor: Thai
Cosponsors: Berg, Ryu, Peterson, Farivar, Street, Chopp, Hackney, Taylor, Reed, Berry, Ramel, Ortiz-Self, Reeves, Entenman, Goodman, Walen, Wylie, Ormsby, Duerr, Alvarado, Pollet, Riccelli, Gregerson, Macri, Fosse, Mena, Bateman, Santos, Stearns, Senn, Callan, Kloba, Simmons, Tharinger, Chapman, Fey, Cortes, Davis, Doglio, Slatter, Morgan, Bergquist
Our Position: NPI supports this bill.
Assessment by NPI: This legislation (House version) would establish a one percent tax on intangible personal property in excess of $250 million, meaning that only Washingtonians with $250 million or more in wealth would pay it. "Taxing extreme wealth, specifically that of ultra-millionaires and billionaires, through a state wealth tax is a pragmatic step for Washington state to take," the Economic Opportunity Institute's Carolyn Brotherton explained in a policy brief published last year. NPI agrees. The ultra-rich's private fortunes were created with the help of public infrastructure that taxpayers paid for, and they have an obligation to pay it forward by investing in Washington's future. It is patriotic to be a taxpayer and pay your dues, and this wealth tax legislation will ensure that Washington's wealthiest individuals are doing their part to help the Evergreen State thrive.
Weigh in: Comment on this bill using the Legislature’s new bill commenting tool.

View full bill history for 2023 Regular Session (Click to view)