Washington Governor Bob Ferguson is celebrating what he calls a major victory for working families after voters rejected Initiative 645, but not everyone is convinced the results tell the story he claims. Residents have taken to social media to accuse his administration of misleading voters, with some questioning whether Washington should have allowed the income tax in the first place.
At the center of the disagreement is a tax targeting the state’s highest earners, which Ferguson argues will help protect funding for programs benefiting ordinary Washingtonians. His critics, however, are less interested in celebrating the election results than in questioning how the initiative was presented to voters and whether the state’s tax policies are becoming increasingly burdensome.
Ferguson shared his enthusiasm in a post on X as early election results showed Washington voters rejecting Initiative 645. As of November 5, approximately 58% of voters opposed the measure, compared with 42% who supported it, although ballots were still being counted.
For context, Initiative 645 sought to repeal Washington’s newly enacted 9.9% tax on annual household income exceeding $1 million, which is scheduled to take effect in 2028. The tax applies only to income above that threshold, not a household’s entire income. The initiative would also prohibit state and local governments from imposing taxes on individual income.
The governor highlighted what he believes Washington stands to preserve through the initiative’s defeat, including free school meals, tax relief for small businesses, and money returned to nearly 500,000 working families. For Ferguson, these benefits show why maintaining the tax matters, especially as many households continue to face financial challenges.
Yet the discussion surrounding the vote has taken a different direction among some of his critics, who argue that the language used to describe the initiative may have influenced how residents voted. Rather than accepting Ferguson’s interpretation of the results, they are questioning whether Washingtonians fully understood that the measure sought to repeal a tax scheduled to begin in 2028.
Comments and Reactions to Bob Ferguson’s Tax Repeal Celebration
Ferguson’s declaration that Washington voters had spoken did little to convince several people responding to his announcement, particularly those who believe the ballot language was misleading. To this effect, one person wrote, “They didn’t say no. They were constantly lied to and manipulated by you, your party, and your union bosses. The income tax is illegitimate.”
The governor’s description of the outcome as rejecting a tax break also drew questions from residents who were displeased with his framing of the initiative. “When you manipulate the ballot language to serve your interests, this is the result. How is the tax system more fair? Have any regressive taxes been lowered? No, of course not. And the income tax is still unconstitutional,” wrote one user.
“You’re so full of [expletive]. I’m a small business owner and your philosophy is continuously increase some tax or fee on me,” a different person wrote, underscoring how Ferguson’s celebration has become another point of contention in the state’s ongoing debate over taxes and affordability.
