Gov. Bob Ferguson, community leaders urge No on Initiative 6-45, warn of cuts to schools and childcare

Gov. Bob Ferguson and a coalition of business owners, nonprofit leaders and advocates urged Washington voters to reject Initiative 6-45 at a press event hosted by Food Lifeline, saying the measure would repeal the state's millionaires tax and strip funding for schools, childcare and other services.

Ferguson, introduced by Food Lifeline's speaker, said the tax package produces roughly $3 billion a year and that those revenues are earmarked for uses including a working families tax credit, small-business tax relief and K-12 investments. "We've been very transparent about where those dollars go," he said, adding that the measure is a clear choice between preserving investments and rolling back progress.

Steven Davis, identified as CEO of Food Lifeline, said the organization supports the No on 6-45 campaign because revenue from the millionaires tax would expand programs such as universal school meals and other investments that reduce food insecurity. "Today, 1 in 8 individuals that live in Washington is food insecure, and 1 in 6 children," Davis said, urging voters to protect the funding that supports partner food programs across the state.

Small-business owners at the event also opposed Initiative 6-45. Matt Hipp, co-owner of Halcyon Brewing, said the repeal would remove the B&O exception included in the millionaires tax package and ultimately "take money out of our pockets, out of our employees' pockets, out of our customers' pockets." Hipp said the loss of hundreds of millions for childcare funding would make life harder for working parents.

Children's Alliance Executive Director Dr. Soleil Boyd told the audience the repeal would be "devastating" for families and early learning, saying 5% of the tax revenue was dedicated to childcare and that the package would fund free school breakfast and lunch for K-12 students. "If Initiative 6-45 passes and the millionaires tax is repealed, it would blow a $13,000,000,000 hole in our state's budget," she said.

Henry Tan, a recent University of Washington graduate and advocate with Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, spoke about his family's economic background and said the expanded working families tax credit would make him newly eligible for $1,500. He urged voters not to "take away opportunities from students like me" by repealing the tax.

Brian Kershner, a Seattle tech executive who said he might fall within the taxed group, urged a No vote as well, arguing the initiative would shift costs to small businesses and working families and remove funding for education, housing and healthcare.

Nicolette Rowe of MomsRising described the measure as a threat to family budgets, saying it would raise the cost of essentials such as diapers and over-the-counter medications and remove free school meals for children who rely on them.

During a question-and-answer session, reporters asked about program capacity amid recent layoffs and whether the tax revenue would lead to unchecked spending. Ferguson said his concern is losing the resources to fund critical programs when needed, not that programs would be overwhelmed, and reiterated his pledge to veto any attempt to lower the $1,000,000 threshold while he is governor. He also said the legislation specifies how dollars will be spent rather than leaving them to a general fund.

The event closed with Ferguson and speakers encouraging supporters to make the case to voters ahead of the November ballot. No formal actions or votes were taken at the event.