Washington In Focus Daily | 4.10.26 | Critics Say Income Tax Will Apply To All & Charter School Cuts

April 10, 2026·27 min·2 clips

Washington is hiring over 300 government employees to enforce its new millionaire income tax, years before collections even begin.

1. Washington In Focus Daily, hosted by Center Square reporter Carlene Johnson, covers three Washington State stories from April 10, 2026: income tax administration, charter school cuts, and sexually violent predator placement. 2. Host Carlene Johnson interviews former AG Rob McKenna, Washington Charter Schools Commission Director Marcus Hardin, and Washington Policy Center Education Director Vicki Murray, with colleagues TJ Martinell and Tim Clouser covering the Yakima story. 3. The episode examines whether the income tax can survive constitutional scrutiny, whether charter school funding disparities can be justified by outcomes, and how communities can respond to state-mandated placement of high-risk individuals. 4. The Washington Department of Revenue plans to hire more than 300 new employees before the income tax's first collection date in 2029 (for income earned in 2028), beginning with the first hires this summer. 5. Let's Go Washington founder Brian Haywood told the Center Square he believes the 300-person hiring ramp-up signals that the Department of Revenue expects the tax to eventually apply to all Washington earners, not just millionaires. 6. Former Attorney General Rob McKenna argues Washington voters resolved the income-as-property question in 1930 by enacting Amendment 14, which defined property as 'everything tangible and intangible subject to ownership.' 7. McKenna adds that in 1934, Washington voters rejected by a wide margin a constitutional amendment that would have excluded income from the property definition, and that every Supreme Court panel since has reached the same conclusion. 8. Let's Go Washington's Brian Haywood is challenging Secretary of State Steve Hobbs's refusal to process a referendum on the income tax before the Washington State Supreme Court, with oral arguments scheduled for April 30. 9. The constitutional crux of the referendum dispute is whether the legislature can make a bill referendum-proof by declaring it an 'emergency' or by saying it is 'necessary for the support of state government' — one of two conditions, not both. 10. Washington's 15 public charter schools serve roughly 4,700–4,800 students and receive public per-student funding minus any local levy collections, leaving them with less money per student than traditional public schools. 11. The 2026 legislative session cut $7.5 million in enrichment funding from charter schools, amounting to roughly $1,500 per student, forcing potential program and staff reductions. 12. Washington Charter Schools Commission Director Marcus Hardin, who spent 15 years at Seattle Public Schools and is a Rainier Beach High School graduate, calls the funding disparity 'a crime' and questions the 'values alignment with budget building.' 13. A recent report titled 'Turning the Tassel in Washington State' found charter school graduates have significantly higher rates of home ownership and earnings compared to peers from traditional public schools three to six years after graduation. 14. Washington Policy Center Education Director Vicki Murray cites research across nine major U.S. metropolitan areas showing a $6.50 return on investment per charter school dollar versus $3.00 for traditional public schools. 15. Murray says the Washington Education Association's continued resistance to charter schools despite strong outcome data reflects the threat high-performing charter schools pose to the traditional public school monopoly. 16. The Washington Education Association did not respond to the Center Square's request for comment on their opposition to charter schools. 17. The Yakima City Council passed a six-month moratorium on halfway houses and secure community transition facilities, responding to the state's search for sites to house sexually violent predators transitioned off McNeil Island. 18. TJ Martinell and Tim Clouser explain that McNeil Island residents are civilly committed after prison sentences if courts determine they are likely to reoffend, but annually receive the opportunity to petition for transfer to less restrictive alternatives. 19. Clouser notes that the recidivism definition used in evaluating these releases often has a two-year window, meaning a person who reoffends the day after the window closes is not counted as a recidivist in some metrics. 20. Listeners following Washington State's 2026 legislative session, public education policy, or community safety debates will find detailed sourcing; those outside Washington will find limited broader applicability.

As heard by us

Washington's tax fight and charter-school cuts are framed around concrete stakes, not official spin.

Washington In Focus Daily opens with the new Washington state income tax and keeps the practical stakes clear: first collections are still years away, and the Department of Revenue is already preparing a major hiring push.

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Why you'd press play

You want the new income tax fight, the charter-school fight, and the policy fallout in one pass.

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