🎧 WA Voter Wake-Up Call: SB 6346 and the 2026 Ballot
Jonathan Hines: ‘On this historic anniversary, let the message from the Evergreen State be clear: We are still a people who value the power of the vote above all else’
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
As our nation stands on the precipice of its 250th anniversary, the air is thick with the echoes of 1776 — a year defined not just by the defiance of a crown, but by the radical idea that the governed should hold the reins of their own destiny. Here in Washington, as we enter the heat of the 2026 candidate filing season, that revolutionary spirit faces a modern test. Recent headlines have delivered a sharp reminder of where power truly resides: not in the gavels of the courtrooms, but in the hands of the voter.
Jonathan Hines
On May 4, 2026, the Washington State Supreme Court denied a referendum challenge against the recently enacted “Millionaire’s Tax” (Senate Bill 6346). The court ruled that because the revenue is deemed “necessary for the support of state government,” it is constitutionally exempt from a public referendum. While the legal merits of the tax itself remain a separate battleground for the future, the immediate message to every Washingtonian is unmistakable. When the doors of the courthouse close on a direct vote, the doors of the ballot box become our only remaining avenue for self-determination.
The myth of the “off-year“
In the grand theater of American politics, we are often conditioned to believe that only the four-year presidential cycle matters. We treat non-presidential elections like the undercard of a boxing match-something to be ignored while waiting for the main event. But in this, the Semiquincentennial era of our Republic, we must remember that the “off-year” is a myth.
While the eyes of the nation may be fixed on the distant horizon of the next White House race, the laws that govern your paycheck, your property, and your children’s classrooms are being forged right now in Olympia and in your local county seats. The Millionaire’s Tax, which imposes a 9.9% levy on income exceeding $1 million, was not signed by a President; it was signed by Governor Ferguson and passed by a state legislature. These are the representatives you choose in years like this one.
Filing for the future
This week marks the official filing period for candidates seeking office in 2026. From the halls of Congress to the local school board, the names appearing on your August primary and November general ballots are being set in stone. If the recent court ruling on the referendum process frustrated you or if you celebrated, your reaction is only as powerful as your next move.
In a state where the judicial branch has clarified the limits of the referendum, the “initiative to the people” and the election of the legislators themselves become the primary tools of civic influence. To stay home this November is to grant a silent proxy to those who do show up.
A call to action
We must remember that democracy is not a self-sustaining machine. It is a garden that requires constant weeding. The founders didn’t give us a finished product; they gave us a Constitutional republic, if we can keep it.
As we celebrate two and a half centuries of American experiment, let us not be the generation that fell asleep at the wheel because there wasn’t a “Presidential” label on the ballot. Show up. Research the candidates filing this week. Understand their stance on the fiscal policies that affect us all.
The 2026 election cycle offers a fundamental choice about the direction of our state’s economy, our tax structure, and our social services. Whether you believe the Millionaire’s Tax is a vital step toward fairness or an unconstitutional overreach, the State Supreme Court has effectively handed the ball back to us. They have signaled that the legislative process is where these battles are won or lost.
The court has spoken, the legislature has acted, and now the candidates are filing. Now, it is your turn. On this historic anniversary, let the message from the Evergreen State be clear: We are still a people who value the power of the vote above all else.
Show up. Speak out. Vote!
Jonathan Hines
Vancouver/Hazel Dell
Also read:
- Let’s Go Washington prepares to gather signatures for income tax repeal effort
Let’s Go Washington needs 308,911 signatures by July 2 to put the income tax before voters in November. - Letter: ‘Once you decide your political opponents are sick, you don’t have to listen to anything they say’Camas resident Tony Teso argues Ken Vance’s column reframes political disagreement as mental illness to avoid engaging on substance.
- Opinion: Greg Johnson’s $2 million contract delivered a huge mess
Johnson’s $1.9M pay coincided with IBR costs tripling and construction timeline doubling to 20 years. - POLL: What issue should be the top priority for Southwest Washington’s next member of Congress?
Sen. John Braun criticized WA’s new income tax while outlining his congressional priorities in Vancouver. - Opinion: The Democrats’ disproportionate response to Trump
Ken Vance argues Democratic hostility toward Trump has crossed from politics into dangerous derangement.
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