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Former Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire has attacked some Democrats in the Washington state legislature after the state's latest millionaire tax.
While attending the Association of Washington Business 2026 Spring Summit on May 6, Gregoire, who served as Washington's governor from 2005 to 2013, was asked if he believes the state legislature understands the impact of economic policies.
“No, I don't, as proof you mentioned the estate tax,” Gregoire said. “I argued with other people about property taxes. We were the highest in the country, tied with Hawaii at 20%. We've gone to 35%. We're not just the highest. We've surpassed the highest.”
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Washington Governor Christine Gregoire speaks at the “Love Wins: Embracing Marriage for All” event at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, Washington on December 9, 2012. (Cliff Despeaux/Reuters)
While Washington's estate tax has been raised to 35%, a recent bill passed in April lowered the rate to 20% after backlash.
“And I said now, do you understand the consequences of this?” he continued. “Can I see your fiscal note? Because I would like to help you. Because here is what you can expect. Those people are not homeless. They will not pay. They leave. When they leave, they stop paying large benefits.
Gregoire also called out Democratic state House members for their lack of business acumen in understanding the tax's impact on small businesses.
“I can suggest to you, we don't really have a salary problem,” he said. “We have a spending problem, and we're responding to it by piling on one more tax, one more law, one more regulation. And one thing businesses don't need is no predictability. That's how businesses grow, that's how they thrive. That's not healthy for our business community.”
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Washington recently passed a new tax of 9.9% on income over $1 million. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Washington state legislature and the Democratic caucus for comment.
Pushed by the Democratic majority during the 2026 session, the billionaire tax imposes a 9.9% tax on annual income over $1 million for individuals or households. While the tax was signed into law in March 2026, it is not scheduled to go into effect until Jan. 1, 2028, with the first payments due in 2029.
After the tax was passed, Starbucks, originally from Seattle, announced that it would remove 2,000 corporate jobs from a new regional headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has come under fire for having a condescending attitude toward billionaires from Washington. (David Ryder/Reuters)
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The tax also comes as Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, who describes herself as a social activist, is facing criticism for her attitude to dismissing the idea of millionaires leaving the state.
Fox News' Joshua Nelson contributed to this report.
