Opinion: “Letting the camel’s nose into the tent; Reject the income tax

Rep. John Ley warns a "temporary" 9.9% state income tax follows a pattern of taxes that never expire. — Rep. John Ley warns a “temporary” 9.9% state income tax follows a pattern of taxes that never expire. Photo courtesy AI image by Andi Schwartz

🎧 Rep. Ley: Reject Washington’s 9.9% Income Tax

Rep. John Ley urges a ‘Yes’ vote to stop the income tax for the 12th time

Rep. John Ley
for Clark County Today

Washington voters, your wallet is under assault.

John Ley

A so-called “temporary” 2 percent utility tax in Camas was sold to residents as a short-term fix — two years only, with ironclad promises it would never increase. Just four years later, city staff are now pushing to hike it to 9 percent — a more than four-fold jump — long after it was supposed to expire.

This is the classic pattern: politicians float a “temporary” tax to get their foot in the door, then quickly make it permanent and expand it. And right now, they’re trying to pull the same trick on a much larger scale with a new state income tax.

Over 511,000 Washingtonians have already signed the IP26-645 initiative petitions, forcing the issue onto the November ballot so the people — not just Olympia insiders — get the final say. This November, you have the power to deliver a decisive NO to the 9.9 percent income tax.

History keeps warning us

Washington voters have rejected a statewide income tax 11 times between 1934 and 2021. Yet Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen openly dismissed a legislative ban on the tax as a “pie crust promise — easily made, easily broken.” That should have been your first clear warning.

Now the PR campaign is in full swing, complete with fresh pie-crust promises: “It will only hit millionaires,” “It’ll never go below $1 million,” and “It’s indexed.” Don’t buy it.

The pattern is undeniable

Camas utility tax: Sold as temporary. Now proposed to explode from 2% to 9% two years after it was supposed to expire.
Seattle’s JumpStart Payroll Tax: Marketed as short-term, later extended.
Olympia’s parking tax: Same story — temporary until it wasn’t.
State B&O tax: Enacted in 1933 as a Depression-era “stop-gap.” It’s still here 90+ years later as a cornerstone of state revenue.
King County stadium taxes: Promised as temporary to build a baseball stadium in 1995. They’ve been repeatedly extended and redirected to other projects, becoming practically permanent.

Time and again, what starts as a small nose under the tent flap ends with the entire camel inside — sitting on your finances.

Even Democrat State Representative Larry Springer admitted the truth at a Bellevue Chamber of Commerce event. He warned voters to be skeptical of his own party’s promises that the income tax won’t eventually hit everyone. Springer further stated that passing a progressive income tax without also eliminating the state’s most regressive taxes (B&O and sales tax) would be a “false promise.” That reform never happened.

Just one year ago, Democrats put a statutory ban on an income tax into law, claiming they respected the people’s repeated votes. Within months, they introduced this new tax anyway.

The reality behind the sales pitch

Despite the “millionaire-only” rhetoric, the 9.9 percent tax is structured to apply to everyone, with only a temporary deduction for those earning under $1 million. Democrats even rejected amendments that would have strictly limited it to millionaires. You will be required to file an income tax return with the state regardless of your income beginning in 2029 for 2028 income.

Washington is already the 5th most expensive state in the nation, with a widening affordability crisis. Housing, utilities, food, and transportation costs are squeezing families dry. Yet in 2025, Democrats passed $12.5 billion in new state and local taxes — the largest increase in state history. In 2026 they came back for another $4.5 billion.

Their message is clear: they always want more of your money.

Stand up for your future

This 9.9 percent income tax isn’t a modest adjustment — it’s the camel’s nose under the tent. Once it’s in, the rest of the camel (higher rates, broader base, fewer deductions) will follow. History proves it. Their own legislator admitted it.

Don’t let slick promises and broken commitments cost you and your family more every year. Protect your paycheck. Protect your future. Protect Washington’s hard-working families.

Vote YES on IP26-645 this November and reject the income tax — for the 12th time.

Send a clear message: enough is enough. No more pie-crust promises. No more camels in the tent.