TESTIMONY – SENATE WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2026

Thank you, Chair Robinson and Committee members. My name is Karen Crowley. I am President of the League of Women Voters of WA. The League supports Senate Bill 6346.

The League does not support or oppose candidates or political parties, but we do take positions on issues after objective, detailed studies and consensus of our membership based on the study. In this case, our position is that we support action to obtain a balanced tax structure that is fair, adequate, flexible, and has a sound economic effect.

This bill would help to balance and create more fairness in Washington’s currently regressive and inequitable tax structure by establishing a new tax on the very small number of people in Washington State most able to pay - and who currently pay the least as a share of their incomes - while contributing to the Working Families Tax Credit, which would reduce tax impacts on the lowest income people of our state. It would also support other badly needed General Fund services.

Additionally, this bill would increase equity in Washington’s legal system by supporting public defense costs in counties, a long-underfunded cost to counties for services needed by those unable to afford private attorneys and it would remove the sales tax on grooming and hygiene products.

These are big steps toward greater tax equity and ability to fund needed services in Washington state. We urge you to pass SB 6346.