State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen is talking about passing a new income tax during next year's short legislative session. Plus, how the state will pay for flood damage with a tight budget.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen is talking about passing a new income tax during next year's short legislative session. Plus, how the state will pay for flood damage with a tight budget.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to <a href="https://www.kuow.org/Donate/soundpolitics/">https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/</a>.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

A podcast about the candidates, policies, and perspectives shaping the Pacific Northwest. There’s a lot to wade through when it comes to Washington State politics. The drama, the facts, the money, and the movers and shakers. In Sound Politics KUOW host Libby Denkmann and politics reporter Scott Greenstone go beyond the ballot to guide you through what’s happening in local politics, why it matters, and how you can use your vote to make a difference.  

A podcast about the candidates, policies, and perspectives shaping the Pacific Northwest. There&rsquo;s a lot to wade through when it comes to Washington State politics. The drama, the facts, the money, and the movers and shakers. In Sound Politics KUOW host Libby Denkmann and politics reporter Scott Greenstone go beyond the ballot to guide you through what&rsquo;s happening in local politics, why it matters, and how you can use your vote to make a difference. &nbsp;

A podcast about the candidates, policies, and perspectives shaping the Pacific Northwest. Produced by KUOW in Seattle.

Sound Politics

Can taxing millionaires fix WA’s broken budget?

We're going deep on taxes this week, even though it's only February. State Democrats have released their so-called millionaire's tax, and we talk about why one particular Dem isn't sold yet.

Related Links

SB 6346 - 2025-26

WA Democrats’ ‘millionaires tax’ is here, but Ferguson doesn’t support it yet

Washington state voters have rejected income taxes 10 times. Is this year different?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor, and co-host today is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Gabrielle Healy and Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

We're going deep on taxes this week, even though it's only February. State Democrats have released their so-called millionaire's tax, and we talk about why one particular Dem isn't sold yet. Related Links <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=6346&amp;Year=2025&amp;Initiative=false">SB 6346 - 2025-26</a> <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/wa-democrats-millionaires-tax-is-here-but-ferguson-doesn-t-support-it-yet">WA Democrats&rsquo; &lsquo;millionaires tax&rsquo; is here, but Ferguson doesn&rsquo;t support it yet</a> <a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/washington-state-voters-rejected-income-taxes-10-times-is-this-year-different">Washington state voters have rejected income taxes 10 times. Is this year different?</a><a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/scott-greenstone"></a> Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/</a>. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor, and co-host today is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Gabrielle Healy and Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

It's only February, yet it's still tax season. We talk about what Washington Dems have proposed. 

Taxing the jocks and the nerds

Where did the idea come from to push back against President Trump by holding a general strike? The story takes us back 100 years to shipyard workers in Seattle. We’ll hear why people think general strikes are an effective protest today and whether they work.

On this week's episode, we relied on oral histories and primary sources from the Seattle General Strike Project, Wesleyan University, and Labor Archives of Washington.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Gabrielle Healy and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone. 

Where did the idea come from to push back against President Trump by holding a general strike? The story takes us back 100 years to shipyard workers in Seattle. We&rsquo;ll hear why people think general strikes are an effective protest today and whether they work. On this week's episode, we relied on oral histories and primary sources from the <a href="https://depts.washington.edu/labhist/strike/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Seattle General Strike Project</a>, <a href="https://condor.wesleyan.edu/openmedia/rrosenthal/audio/seattle/interviews_mp3.html" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Wesleyan University</a>, and <a href="https://lib.uw.edu/find-borrow/find-materials/find-special-collections/labor-archives-of-washington/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Labor Archives of Washington</a>. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/</a>. Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Gabrielle Healy and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.&nbsp;

Do “general strikes” work? Seattle history has an answer

One year into President Trump's second term, we check in with Washington state’s biggest Trump supporter (or at least, the biggest one in our Congressional delegation) Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane. We also talk with the biggest Trump adversary in the state, Attorney General Nick Brown, who sued the administration 50 times in the last year.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Sarah Leibovitz and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

One year into President Trump's second term, we check in with Washington state&rsquo;s biggest Trump supporter (or at least, the biggest one in our Congressional delegation) Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane. We also talk with the biggest Trump adversary in the state, Attorney General Nick Brown, who sued the administration 50 times in the last year.
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/">https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/</a>.
Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Sarah Leibovitz and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

Can taxing millionaires fix WA’s broken budget?

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