Uchikura & Co., LLC

Why the Delay Matters

 

Governor Bob Ferguson still hasn’t signed Senate Bill 6346, Washington State’s new income tax. According to State Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen), this is not an accident—it’s strategy.

 

Under Washington law, voters can try to repeal a law through an initiative. But to meet the early July deadline, organizers must collect about 340,000 signatures. That process cannot begin until the governor signs the bill (or lets it become law without signing).

 

In simple terms: every day of delay means fewer days to gather signatures.

 

Walsh argues that Ferguson is intentionally running down the clock. By waiting until the last possible day, he reduces the chance that opponents can successfully organize a repeal effort.

 

There’s more. Lawmakers added a “necessity clause” to the bill, which blocks a referendum—the fastest way for voters to reject a new law. This is controversial because the tax doesn’t fully take effect until 2028, making any claim of urgency questionable.

 

Even after the bill is signed, delays continue. The initiative must be reviewed by the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, who also writes the official title. Legal challenges to that wording can further slow things down.

 

All of this limits the time available for signature collection.

 

Walsh also warns of a bigger issue. Right now, the tax applies only to higher-income households. But that limit is just one paragraph in the law. If removed, it could expand into a 9.9% income tax on all working families.

 

Ferguson hasn’t signed yet. But according to Walsh, every day he waits makes repeal harder—and that may be the point.