This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
A highly controversial tax on millionaires is one step closer to becoming law.
After nearly four hours of debate Monday, the Washington State Senate voted 27-22 to pass Senate Bill 6346, which would impose a 9.9% tax on Washington residents with more than $1 million in annual income.
Lawmakers passed the bill mostly on a party-line vote, with the majority of Democrats in favor. Democratic Senator Lisa Wellman was among them.
“This is not about penalizing wealthy people, wealthy Washingtonians. It is simply asking for proportionality in our tax structure at a time when the gap between rich and poor has never been greater,” she said before the vote.
Republican Senator Chris Gildon voted no, as critics say the bill opens the door for a tax down the road on the middle class.
“If this bill passes today, future legislatures can easily come back and change the threshold from $1 million down to $500,000 to $250,000; they can apply it to anyone that they want to,” he said before the bill passed the Senate.
Democrats and Republicans clash on ‘millionaire tax’
The tax cleared the Senate Ways and Means Committee last week.
Before the vote, Democratic Senator Yasmin Trudeau said the proposal is about “leveling the playing field” between the state’s wealthiest residents and people struggling to make ends meet.
Republican Senator Perry Dozier argued the measure does nothing to make the state more affordable.
GOP members also unsuccessfully introduced several amendments, including one to lock in the 9.9% tax rate and $1 million threshold, and another to remove the emergency clause that would prevent voters from weighing in.
The bill now heads to the House.
Contributing: Frank Lenzi and Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest