500,000 Signatures Turned In To Repeal WA Income Tax + GOP Target Key Washington Congressional Seat

Washington's income tax repeal campaign has reached a major milestone after Let's Go Washington delivered more than 500,000 petition signatures to the Secretary of State in an effort to place the new income tax before voters this November. The Center Square was on scene in Tumwater as supporters gathered to celebrate the signature submission. While state officials will spend the next several weeks validating signatures, organizers say they are confident they have collected well above the number required for ballot qualification. The episode also examines the growing political battle surrounding Washington's new income tax as Republican leaders continue criticizing the measure and congressional candidates prepare for one of the state's most competitive elections. Pressure is mounting on Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez as Republicans seek to make the income tax a central issue in Southwest Washington's 3rd Congressional District race. Finally, The Center Square profiles Ginny Burton, a former drug addict and convicted felon who has built one of Washington's most successful prison reentry programs. Her nonprofit, Out Impact, reports that 54 of its first 55 graduates have successfully remained out of prison, potentially saving taxpayers millions in incarceration costs. Burton is now preparing to walk more than 300 miles across Washington to raise awareness and funding for the program. In today's episode: • Income tax repeal signature update • Let's Go Washington petition drive • Secretary of State certification timeline • Marie Gluesenkamp Perez congressional race • John Braun discusses the income tax • Ginny Burton's prison reentry program • Reducing recidivism in Washington • Taxpayer savings through rehabilitation Subscribe for daily reporting on Washington politics, elections, taxpayer issues, government accountability, public policy, and investigative journalism from The Center Square.