They Want to Expand the Income Tax, New Emails Reveal | Ryan Frost

Washington Policy On The Go is WPC's bi-weekly (weekly during the legislative session) virtual lunchtime event series featuring center directors and guests to inform you on the latest in Washington State policy research and analysis. In this video we talk with Ryan Frost who discusses the recently uncovered emails between the Attorney General's office and Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, revealing how they colluded to overturn the constitutional rulings of the Supreme Court without going to the people. If you find our videos useful, consider making a donation! We receive government funds nor make ad or sponsor revenue from our videos and rely on generous contributions from individuals like you! Donations to WPC are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Consider supporting us at https://washingtonpolicy.org/giveyt 00:00 - Introduction 01:33 - New documents reveal the broader tax agenda 02:24 - Leaked emails and the goal of overturning court precedent 04:14 - The push to redefine income as something other than property 05:11 - Why that argument threatens property protections 07:12 - The real purpose of the bill versus the public sales pitch 08:10 - Regressive taxes and Washington’s refusal to cut them 09:49 - Carbon and capital gains taxes as revenue tools 10:56 - The Attorney General’s office and bill drafting concerns 12:14 - Was the solicitor general helping build a political argument? 15:37 - The emergency clause and blocking a referendum 18:13 - Can the AG be removed and what voters can do 20:31 - Why expansion of the income tax is a “mathematical certainty” 24:26 - How the threshold could be lowered over time 27:42 - Why public support collapses when more people are taxed 29:49 - Why more taxes are not making Washington affordable 31:29 - Starbucks, Seattle, and Washington’s tax climate 33:22 - Washington’s reputation and the long-term cost Visit our homepage for the latest Washington news: https://washingtonpolicy.org Sign up for our FREE newsletter: https://washingtonpolicy.org/signup Follow us on our social platforms! Facebook: / washington.policy.center | X: https://x.com/wapolicycenter | Instagram: / washingtonpolicy | TikTok: / washingtonpolicy