Understanding Washington State’s Extremely Regressive Tax System — Melissa Hellmann, Center for Public Integrity — #189

Long time listeners will know that the topic of regressive taxation in Washington  has been a repeated talking point on the show. In 2019, we hosted an Adult Civics Hour called the Case for Progressive Taxation and the topic has come up on several other episodes. This week as tax season reaches its zenith, we wanted to get to the bottom of why the tax structure in Washington is so regressive and what we can do about it.

Our guest is Melissa Hellmann, an award-winning reporter who covers racial, gender and economic inequality. Prior to joining the Center for Public Integrity in August 2021, she covered marginalized communities for The Seattle Times. She previously worked at Seattle Weekly, and the Associated Press. 

This conversation centers on Melissa’s prior reporting in Crosscut and the recent efforts in other states to make their systems more less regressive.

Cast of Characters & Going Further

•  Melissa – Twitter
• Center for Public Integrity – Website
• If you’re Black, saying ‘I do’ can increase your taxes – Discussed in Exit Question

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