37th District Voters Press Lawmakers on Taxes, Budget Over Trump

For Democratic voters in the 37th Legislative District, questions about the actions of the Trump administration were outweighed by a more pressing concern: What were politicians doing to make life more affordable?

The Washington State Democrats held mid-session town halls throughout the state on Feb. 21 to hear from voters. Asian Counseling and Referral Service on MLK Way South hosted the town hall for the 37th Legislative District.

In their opening statements, State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña and State Reps. Sharon Tomiko Santos and Chipalo Street discussed their committee work, accomplishments, and legislative challenges, with references to the Trump administration as a consistent throughline.

"I went right [to Olympia] to make sure that we were … standing up for our values and regardless of what was happening in the other Washington, we were going to make sure that [in] this Washington everyone is welcome," said Saldaña.

Although the legislators talked about the federal government, constituents focused their questions on issues impacting them in Washington state, including taxes and spending, rising utility costs from AI data centers, affordability, and education. Of the 12 questions asked by the audience, only two focused on Trump: one on ICE and another on local politicians' plan to generally protect the community from the administration.

The questions legislators fielded mirrored the concerns voters across the country are asking of their federal, state, and local leaders: How will the government make life fair and affordable for average citizens?

Street said that when it came to data centers, "they seem to have been paying … their way in terms of rates and infrastructure." But he agreed with concerns on energy generation and wondered, "Who pays for that?"

In addressing health care, Saldaña discussed medical debt, which she says is "one of the primary causes of personal bankruptcy," and Senate Bill 5993, which caps interest rates on that debt at 1%.

On education, Santos tried to alleviate people's concerns over cuts to "[non]-constitutionally required basic education," but said she is "trying to find ways through the K–12 budget to ensure that we're expanding our support for the Working Connections Child Care."

Half of the audience's questions focused on taxes and the state budget, with the proposed "millionaires' tax" generating the most interest. At the town hall, the legislators said they were all supportive of the tax and pleased that Gov. Bob Ferguson was as well.

Seeing that the legislative and executive branches "were all on the same page about having an income tax is great," said Street.

But Saldaña distanced herself from the proposed deal to cut the state's estate tax to pass the millionaires' tax. "Do I agree with that, no," said Saldaña. "We'll see what the House does with it."

After the town hall, each legislator told the Emerald their opinions on the current Senate tax package:

Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos

"I am a sponsor of the millionaires' tax. … I think this is a long-awaited and much-needed conversation about reforming the structure of our tax code. … I have been through both efforts for the last twenty-something years to actually bring an income tax proposal forward, and so I'm hoping that the third time is the charm."

"If I think it is [the] entire policy discussion to ensure that those who are higher earners to [contribute] more into our taxes and make sure that the estate tax is not a barrier to their support, I'm willing to have that conversation. … It's also important for us to remember that the … primary payers of the [estate] tax are not necessarily wealthy tech workers, but actually large farmers who feed our state. … Those farmers are actually getting hurt."

Rep. Chipalo Street

"For me, it's how can we get the strongest [millionaires'] tax that can pass [the] House, Senate, and governor, and make it through the courts and the public. Whatever we can do to make it the most progressive, I'm for."

"There's the estate tax and the B&O exemptions for our businesses that I would not like to see. … Things like the B&O [tax cut] on our richest corporations do not make me happy … but we have to make a nod to business. Getting the income tax passed is the most important thing."

Sen. Rebecca Saldaña

"I'm happy about [the millionaires' tax] being passed. I definitely supported it. I think the part where [on] the same day, we went back on the estate tax, when our budget is really out of sorts right now. I think there was a frustration from a few of us. But I think the actual millionaires' tax is in really strong shape."

"I'm okay if the [estate tax] doesn't pass [the House] because that means we don't have to cut as deeply in our discretionary funding, which is really important. … And we don't have to make some of those really bad cuts … But I think the most important thing is that we get the millionaires' tax passed."