We're going deep on taxes this week, even though it's only February. State Democrats have released their so-called millionaire's tax, and we talk about why one particular Dem isn't sold yet.

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SB 6346 - 2025-26

WA Democrats’ ‘millionaires tax’ is here, but Ferguson doesn’t support it yet

Washington state voters have rejected income taxes 10 times. Is this year different?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor, and co-host today is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Gabrielle Healy and Sarah Leibovitz. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

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Where did the idea come from to push back against President Trump by holding a general strike? The story takes us back 100 years to shipyard workers in Seattle. We’ll hear why people think general strikes are an effective protest today and whether they work.

On this week's episode, we relied on oral histories and primary sources from the Seattle General Strike Project, Wesleyan University, and Labor Archives of Washington.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Gabrielle Healy and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One year into President Trump's second term, we check in with Washington state’s biggest Trump supporter (or at least, the biggest one in our Congressional delegation) Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane. We also talk with the biggest Trump adversary in the state, Attorney General Nick Brown, who sued the administration 50 times in the last year.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Sarah Leibovitz and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democrats think that this is the year when voters and the courts will side with them on an income tax. Axios' Melissa Santos and the Washington Observer's Paul Queary join us to talk about why. They'll also break down what they're watching during this year's state legislative session.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle's new mayor, Katie Wilson, joins us to talk about being in the media spotlight, her priorities for the coming year, and what new taxes she might get behind.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Outgoing Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson reflects on her tenure as she leaves office.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Sarah Leibovitz and Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen is talking about passing a new income tax during next year's short legislative session. Plus, how the state will pay for flood damage with a tight budget.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to https://www.kuow.org/donate/soundpolitics/.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For weeks, pundits wondered whether incoming Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson would fire the city's police chief. We now know she won’t, but we still have questions about how a democratic socialist who used to support "defund" the police will run the police department.

Listen to the full Soundside interview with Chief Shon Barnes here. 

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Scott Greenstone.

Updated on 12/12/2025 at 3:25 p.m.: An initial version of this podcast misattributed a quote about the role of collective bargaining in police accountability policy to Chief Shon Barnes.  It was a statement by Judge James Robart. That audio has been removed.

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It’s the most of the wonderful time of the year in Olympia, the time when the Democrats figure out how to fill a giant budget hole.

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producer is Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Catharine Smith and Scott Greenstone.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're bringing you an interview with incoming Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans. Voters resoundingly supported Evans in last month's elections. How much will the incoming city attorney roll back her predecessor's policies?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible. If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundpoliticsnotes.

Sound Politics is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Catharine Smith. Our producers are Hans Anderson. Our hosts are Libby Denkmann and Catharine Smith.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.