Senate votes 27–21 to concur in House amendments to gross substitute SB 6346 after heated debate

The Washington State Senate voted 27–21 to concur in the House amendments to gross substitute Senate Bill 6,346 and then passed the amended measure after hours of debate and a point‑of‑order challenge over whether the changes were within the bill's scope.

Senator Peterson, who moved concurrence, said the bill as it left the Senate already tied an income tax — slated for collections beginning in 2029 — to a set of tax reductions and that the House amendments refine and, in his view, improve the package. "I believe that the House amendments improve the bill, and I urge your concurrence," Peterson said.

The bill (SB 6,346 as amended) would impose an income tax with collections beginning in 2029, provide a series of tax reductions and targeted exemptions (including early exemptions for certain sales‑taxed services and consumer‑facing B&O surcharge relief), expand the Working Families Tax Credit to cover roughly an additional 460,000 families according to supporters, and create a 5%…