Friends,
I hope this email finds you doing well. We are clearly living in challenging times. In the face of turmoil, the state legislature stepped up in many ways to protect Washingtonians, support workers, and make our state’s tax code more fair. Many of these accomplishments were policy changes that were personal goals of mine, and I feel so fortunate to represent each and every one of YOU!
A Fairer Tax Code for Washingtonians
Washington’s tax code has long been one of the most regressive systems in the United States. That means that low-income families pay a far higher percentage of their yearly income in taxes than do our richest neighbors. That is why we passed legislation to establish a “Millionaires Tax” on annual income over $1 million. This proposal is about fixing a system that isn’t working as it should. Right now, middle-income households in Washington pay about 11% of their income in state and local taxes, while the wealthiest households pay about 4%. This proposal helps correct that imbalance by asking those at the very top to contribute more, while providing relief to everyone else.
This was a historic and critical change to our tax code that will provide meaningful relief for working Washingtonians by removing sales tax on diapers, hygiene products, and over-the-counter medications, eliminating B&O tax for nearly 60% of businesses. It will also provide free school meals to all K-12 students and expand the Working Families Tax Credit to an astonishing additional 460, 000 Washingtonian households. AND, it only took us 25 hours!
Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
For years, domestic workers in Washington have fought to address historic inequities and to ensure safety, fairness and dignity on the job site. I came to the legislature to get the ‘Domestic Workers Bill of Rights,’ House Bill 2355, over the finish line. This important legislation creates clear, enforceable protections for people who work as house cleaners, nannies, personal cooks, gardeners, or do other domestic labor. The very people whose labor allows families to work, children to thrive, and elders to age with dignity.
This bill is personal to me. I saw firsthand how my mother, a domestic worker, was treated on the job. I was touched to see the looks on the domestic workers’ faces when this bill was finally signed into law. The elation they experienced was years in the making and hard-earned. Congratulations to all of them!
On the day of the bill signing, I was fortunate enough to join them in celebration. Here is a video about that historic and celebratory event.
“Don’t Chip Me, Bro!”
Rep. Brianna Thomas, D-Seattle, shakes Governor Bob Ferguson’s hand after signing House Bill 2303. Credit: LSS Photography.
I am incredibly proud that the “Don’t Chip Me, Bro” Act (HB 2303) also passed this year. It may seem like science fiction, but the technology for companies to use microchipping to track employees is out there. Fortunately, this practice isn’t prevalent yet. It isn’t hard to imagine that some companies may choose to offer this option to employees, and once that Pandora’s box is open, we won’t be able to roll it back.
So, we banned it. Under this legislation, private citizens can do whatever they want with their bodies, but companies cannot offer or compel microchipping programs. We all know that the power dynamic between employer and employee makes true consent impossible in the workplace, so we stepped up and protected workers.
Protecting Washingtonians
The aggressive and violent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents across the country have only made our communities less safe and our neighbors more scared. Housed Democrats knew we needed to do all we could to protect our immigrant neighbors. That is why we passed several bills to protect Washington that:
- Prohibited law enforcement officers — like ICE agents — from wearing face-covers while interacting with the public (SB 5855).
- Preserved the integrity of Washington’s law enforcement by making it a crime for people who are not law enforcement officers to wear badges or other law enforcement insignia (HB 2165).
- Strengthened protections against retaliation and coercion for immigrant workers (HB 2105).
- Allowed people to access shared leave for work absences due to hate crimes or ICE actions (HB 2411).
This is also where I personally encountered disappointment in legislative outcomes. Though SB 6002 made significant steps in preventing law enforcement from using surveillance tools like Automatic License Plate Readers, I don’t think it went far enough to protect our communities. This administration has shown significant hostility toward black, brown, indigenous, immigrant, and other marginalized communities at every turn. They have repeatedly shown that they do not support access to reproductive health care, gender affirming care, or respect religious practices that aren’t their own. We cannot leave anything on the table when protecting our neighbors in these vulnerable locations. This bill didn’t go far enough to ensure the privacy of vulnerable populations across Washington, so I couldn’t vote for it. I look forward to working on the next steps with stakeholders over the interim.
Election Year Restrictions
During an election year, there are certain restrictions on my communications to prevent the use of state resources for election purposes. Some of these restrictions include freezes on email updates, websites, and Facebook pages. This means that you will not be receiving updates from me beginning May 4, 2026, until after the general election in November. So, this will be the last email update you’ll receive from me for a while. However, you can still reach out to my office with questions, requests for meetings, or to deliver messages to me. And feel free to say hi when you see me on the bus, beach, or ferry!
In the meantime, I hope you have a pleasant summer, that you and your loved ones are safe and happy, and you’ll hear from me again in December.
Again, it is a sincere honor and pleasure to be your voice in Olympia. Thank you so much for this opportunity to serve,
~BKT
Aka: Rep. Thomas
PS: Interested in an easy review of all the bills I sponsored my first biennium? You can find them here!