Updates on ‘Millionaires Tax’ and more at Saturday’s 43rd Legislative District Town Hall

Are you a Washington millionaire? You might want to make plans to be at Capitol Hill’s Kerry Hall this weekend to learn about efforts to create a new “Millionaires Tax” in the state and other updates from this year’s session in Olympia during the annual 43rd Legislative District Town Hall:

43rd Legislative District Town Hall
Saturday, February 21 1:00-2:30 PM
Kerry Hall, 710 E Roy
Join Sen. Pedersen, Rep. Shaun Scott, and me at a 43rd District Town Hall on February 21 at 1:00pm. We’ll be at Kerry Hall (710 E. Roy Street, Seattle, WA 98102) and we’d love to see you there. No RSVP is required!

This week, the 43rd’s Sen. Jamie Pedersen led his fellow legislators in a narrow vote approving a bill that would create a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million. The bill now moves onto the House of Representatives. If approved there, it would likely face more than a few legal challenges before becoming law in 2028.

“The Department of Revenue estimates that the Millionaires Tax would generate $3.7 billion annually by asking roughly 20,000 of the wealthiest households in the state to pay a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million,” Pedersen said in an announcement of the passage. “Households with incomes of $1 million and below would pay nothing.”

CHS reported here last year on a town hall from 43rd District Rep. Shaun Scott at Seattle First Baptist Church raising support for a new tax on high earners. In December, Scott unveiled a “Well Washington Fund” proposal that would spread a tax similar to Seattle’s JumpStart tax across state.

Scott has said he supports the Pedersen bill though it falls far short of more aggressive progressive revenue alternatives like his Well Washington proposal.

You can ask them both to elaborate Saturday at Kerry Hall.

 
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Capitol Hill, get to know your artful new neighbor at grand opening of STG at Kerry Hall

(Image: STG at Kerry Hall)

By Domenic Strazzabosco

A year after the $6 million deal to add the historic Capitol Hill performance space to the family of Seattle venues including the Paramount, the Moore, and the Neptune, STG at Kerry Hall is holding a grand opening party this weekend.

The free Saturday, November 15th event will celebrate the Seattle Theater Group’s new addition. It’s an excellent opportunity for neighbors to stop through to see how the new life for the diverse, artistic space is taking shape.

“Kerry Hall is starting to come to life,” said Marisol Sanchez Best, STG’s Director of Education & Community Engagement. “Now, the big job is to let everyone know the building is available for them to come and utilize it as a creative space.”

STG put the E Roy just off northern Broadway building and studios into motion almost immediately after purchasing the 104-year-old property as Cornish College of the Arts severed its final ties to the neighborhood.

The move preserved the historic building Nellie Cornish once called home for a new generation of Seattle artists while giving STG a home for rehearsals and its educational programs as well as opportunities for smaller performance spaces.

STG’s success in Kerry Hall could be a hopeful good sign for another historic Capitol Hill venue. CHS reported here on Seattle Central’s search for new partners to put E Pine’s Egyptian Theater back in the movie business after SIFF’s exit from Capitol Hill.

Saturday at Kerry Hall, after a ribbon-cutting to kick off the event, attendees will be welcomed to walk through the historic building and observe or participate in the many activities and workshops planned while also enjoying a slate of performances. There will be a food truck as well. Continue reading →