Income Tax Repeal Suffers Major Loss at Washington Supreme Court

The Washington State Supreme Court has rejected citizen Arthur West’s challenge to the public investment impact disclosure that will appear alongside Initiative 645, the November ballot measure seeking to repeal Washington’s newly adopted income tax. The disputed disclosure tells voters that the initiative would decrease funding for areas including K-12 education, higher education and human services. Critics, including Let’s Go Washington and Washington GOP Chairman Jim Walsh, argue the language is misleading because revenue from the new income tax has not yet begun flowing into the state. Walsh criticized the court ruling and argued it highlights the importance of Washington’s judicial elections, with five of the state Supreme Court’s nine positions appearing on the November ballot. Meanwhile, the Northwest Progressive Institute celebrated the ruling and pointed to the defeat of three Let’s Go Washington initiatives in 2024 that also carried public investment impact disclosure statements. Washington In Focus Daily breaks down the Supreme Court decision, the fight over Initiative 645’s ballot language and why the controversy could add even more attention to Washington’s Supreme Court races this November. #WashingtonSupremeCourt #IncomeTax #IncomeTaxRepeal #Initiative645 #WashingtonPolitics #WAPolitics #WashingtonNews #LetsGoWashington #Election2026 #WashingtonElection #SupremeCourt #TheCenterSquare