Economic Opportunity Institute

Nannies, Housekeepers, and Other Domestic Workers to Gain State Protections in WA After years of organizing, Washington’s Domestic Workers Bill of Rights will bring minimum wage, overtime and job protections to nannies, housekeepers and gardeners statewide starting in 2027.

Washington is expanding labor protections for nannies, housekeepers, gardeners, and other domestic workers.

A new state law guarantees minimum wage, OT pay, sick leave, and written work agreements — rights advocates say are long overdue.

Aspen Ford reports for the Standard: soseaem.org/4szBBSt

WASHINGTON'S MILLIONAIRES TAX PASSES 51 - 46!!

After 24hr straight of debate through the night!

After nearly 25 hours, the Millionaires Tax passes the House 51-46 and will go back to the Senate for concurrence before reaching the governor's desk.

Now, let's all sleep as we fight for economic justice another day.

#WALeg

Rep Fitzgibbon rises to say that we don't have to be the Cayman Islands of the United States to be a great place to live: "We all do better when we all do better." #waleg

Okay that was funny, Barnard accidentally said "vote YES" for the Millionaires at the end of her time and her fellow #WALeg House GOP had to yell "vote no!" at her.

Speaker Laurie Jinkins just laughed and said, "okay yeah we get you"

GOP Rep. Barnard: "This 'Republicans love millionaires' thing." 🤨

"The people who would pay this tax are working hard" interesting she doesn't say that about those making less than $1 Mil, who will get the Working Families Tax Credit from this, who's schools will be funded by the Millionaires Tax.

Opponents of #TaxTheRich in #WALeg keep trying to invoke a vibecession with their fearmongering about the MillionairesTax. One just said that "newborns" will pay this tax.

One WA CEO makes 1,794 times his average employee. Here’s why The upswing in CEO pay makes a bad look worse for Seattle’s large, publicly traded companies. For retail employers that rely on low-wage workers, the ratios show an extraordinarily wide gap.

Since we've heard it now...a lot of times: Starbucks isn't moving for tax reasons. It is moving because it's actively, illegally union-busting w/ its CEO making 1,794x more than the average employee

www.epi.org/publication/...
sbworkersunited.org/starbucks-il...
www.seattletimes.com/business/loc...

It's @washingtonea.bsky.social official folks, the #WALeg House has been debating the Millionaires Tax for over 24 hrs: www.washingtonea.org/advocacy/deb...

Points out the MT would double working families tax credit, providing extra cash to cover rent or mortgage, to put food on the table, most of all in rural counties.

I'm voting to cut taxes on working families and small businesses, that's why I've been here for over 24 hours; to vote Yes" #WALeg

Rep. Street: "What would you say if I said the AM radio is the latest way to listen to music? That was also invented in 1933, when WA's tax code was invented. Our economy has changed but our tax code has not kept up. Funding essential services cannot wait for structural tax relief."

OG Microsoft millionaire and our board member, Matt Loschen, testified during Millionaires Tax committee hearings in support of this historic legislation — along with other folks who would pay this tax.

People with the means to pay are happy (I know!!!) to pay.

#WALeg

Rep. Brianna Thomas gets us close to the 24-hour mark, saying "The House is not afraid to throw down.

"Millionaires pay 4% of their income in taxes. Working folks like me and you pay ~11%, yet people we were sent here to help pay 14% of their income in taxes." She's fighting for The People™️

#WALeg

Rep. Natasha Hill: "Millionaires would pay more in other states. If you make over 7 figures here in WA you're still paying less than in ID."

MA already passed a Millionaires Tax & all the terrible predictions we've heard, they didn't happen, the # of millionaires increased by 30% since passing it.

The current GOP speaker is claiming rural people don't support the Millionaires Tax.

Telling that she doesn't want you to know that the actual working people in rural areas of WA DO support the Millionaires Tax, like Elana who testified in support a few weeks ago:

"Small businesses are progressive, forward-thinking aspects of our economy. They provide the richness, the uniqueness. We can support minority-owned businesses and LGBTQ+ businesses.

"This is a pro-small business bill. Please support the Millionaires Tax."

#WALeg

Rep. Lisa Parshley uses her floor time to emphasize that this is a pro-small business bill. The Millionaires Tax provides the most substantial small business tax break in Washington state history.

"We're going to be able to support the small businesses, which I see as a progressive value."

#WALeg

Representative Mena: "Our outdated tax structure no longer allows us to take care of one another."

After more than 23 hours of debate, the #waleg is finally about to vote on final passage of the millionaires tax

- adding "low- and middle income families" to the intent section
- making the Millionaires Tax tax only legally in effect so long it only applies to millionaires.

Those changes are now rolled into the base striking amendment above, and once it is passed we get to do more debate for final passage 😩

Here's a roundup of the effects of the few amendments that were adopted since yesterday:

- Technical changes including exempting tribal income
- DoR report how much it costs to collect tax
- Exempting more health care from 2025's B&O tax increase
- Exempt public libraries from sales tax on services

Rep Berg: "Those in our state who can least afford it are paying 4 times more in taxes than the wealthiest among us... we have rampant wealth inequality, an upside down tax system...the Millionaires tax is a way to change that, to help our working families and bring balance to our tax code" #waleg

Striking amendment adopted, and now we proceed to final passage. As a reminder, each member can speak for up to three minutes during final passage. Rep Berg begins "We've been debating this for hours, but we've been on this path for decades" #waleg

We're at final passage in hour 23. Rep. April Berg is speaking first.

"We are in desperate need of structural tax reform, foundational tax reform. With that will come the ability to meet the needs of our growing population."

#WALeg

Guess who supports a millionaires tax? Republicans, WA poll finds A proposed state income tax on million-dollar earners in Washington is broadly popular, an independent poll has found. Even, surprisingly, among self-identified Republicans.

The last amendment failed and still opposition continues to lie...

"For starters, 61% of Washingtonians back the idea of a 9.9% tax on incomes greater than $1 million... There is majority backing for the tax across all parties" including over 50% of R's

#WALeg

www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

a close up of a cartoon character with a very angry face and a tie . ALT: a close up of a cartoon character with a very angry face and a tie .

WE DO NOT HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM AHHHHHHHHHH

Opponents to the #WALeg Millionaires Tax are relying on 1930s interpretation of late 19th Century constitutional text. Here is the unofficial 1878 Washington State Constitution, which uses the phrase "class of subjects" in the sentence under debate. What is a "class of subjects"?

It's been a bit, yet we're still here. There are four more amendments before final passage in hour 22 of the House floor debate on the Millionaires Tax.

#WALeg