Former Washington governor rips her own party for pushing millionaires out
Former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire attacked her fellow Democrats in the Washington state legislature. state’s latest millionaire tax.
While joining the Washington Business Association 2026 Spring Summit On May 6, Gregoire, who served as governor of Washington from 2005 to 2013, was asked whether he believed the state legislature understood the impact of his economic policies.
“No, I really don’t think so, you mentioned the property tax as proof of that,” Gregoire said. “I’ve argued with some about the property tax. We were the highest rate in the country, tied with Hawaii at 20%. We went up to 35%. We’re not just the highest rate. We’re beyond the highest.”
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Washington Governor Christine Gregoire speaks at the “Love Wins: A Wedding Reception for All” event at the Paramount Theater on December 9, 2012 in Seattle, Washington.
(Reuters)
Although Washington’s property tax had been raised to 35 percent, a new bill passed in April rolled back that rate. rate to 20% after the reaction.
“And now I said, do you understand the consequences of this?” he continued. “Can I see your financial score? Because I’d like to help. Because here’s what you expect. These people are not homeless. They won’t pay. They leave. When they leave, they stop paying capital gains. When they leave, they stop donating significantly to philanthropy, which would otherwise be required by the government. So you see, do you see the consequences of what you’re doing? And the answer is no.”
Gregoire also pointed out Democratic State House members’ lack of business experience in understanding the impact of taxes on small businesses.
“I would suggest to you, we don’t actually have an income problem,” he said. “We have a spending problem, and we’re responding by piling on another tax, another rule, another regulation. The one thing businesses don’t need is a lack of predictability. That’s how businesses grow, that’s how they develop. That’s not healthy for our business community.”
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Washington recently passed a new 9.9% tax on incomes over $1 million.
Fox News Digital He reached out to the Washington state legislature and the Democratic caucus for comment.
Millionaire tax passed by Democratic majority in 2026 session 9.9% tax on annual income exceeds $1 million for individuals or households. Although the tax was signed in March 2026, it is not scheduled to go into effect until January 1, 2028, and the first payments will be made in 2029.
After the tax comes into force Starbucks emerging in SeattleAnnounced it will move 2,000 corporate jobs to new regional headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has faced criticism for her dismissive attitude toward millionaires leaving Washington.
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The tax also comes as Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, a self-described socialist, has faced criticism for herself. dismissive attitude towards the idea of millionaires leaving the state.
Original article source: Former Washington governor rips his own party for alienating millionaires
