Rep. Shaun Scott

05/03/2026

During an election year, there are certain restrictions on my communications to prevent the use of state resources for election purposes. One of these restrictions is a freeze on this page, meaning the page will not be updated beginning May 4, 2026, until after the general election in November. Per the Legislative Ethics Board, this page is unable to accept comments during this same time period. If you have questions or comments about legislative issues, please feel free to continue to contact me using the link below. Thank you!

https://housedemocrats.wa.gov/scott/

01/02/2026

OLYMPIA – Flanked by workers, union leaders, professors, housing advocates, and progressive tax coalitions, Rep. Shaun Scott (D–Seattle) introduced the Well Washington Fund, a bold payroll excise tax designed to shield Washington from the deep federal funding cuts imposed by H.R. 1 – the tax-and-spending package signed by Donald Trump that hands billionaires permanent tax breaks while forcing states into austerity.

“H.R. 1 is a billionaire giveaway with a bill that lands in the laps of Washington’s working families,” said Scott on the steps of the Legislative Building. “It steals from our classrooms, our hospitals, and our housing programs to subsidize champagne dreams for the ultra-rich. Washington is done footing the tab.”

What the Well Washington Fund Does:

Scott’s legislation is modeled on Seattle’s successful JumpStart payroll tax and would raise over $2 billion annually to stabilize healthcare (especially Medicaid), education, and human service programs facing federal cuts.

The proposal:
- Targets large corporations with high concentrations of employees earning above $125,000/year.
- Applies a 5% tax only on the portion of payroll expenses that exceed that salary threshold.
- Exempts small businesses, low-wage workers, and employers already paying Seattle’s local JumpStart tax.
- Creates the Well Washington Fund, preventing cuts and protecting statewide budgets from federal austerity.
- Ensures revenue cannot be reclaimed from worker wages.

“This bill protects the people who make our economy run – not the corporations extracting record profits from it,” Scott said. “If an employer’s business model only works when executives make millions and everyone else pays for it – that’s not a business model, that’s exploitation.”

Scott emphasized that the Well Washington Fund is part of a broader effort to make the state’s tax code more fair, including closing multinational loopholes, passing the capital gains tax on millionaires, and expanding the Working Families Tax Credit.

He also referenced two additional revenue proposals he’s advancing this session:

The Wildfire Alleviation Support Act (HB 2089) – raising $40M annually by closing a big-bank loophole.
County Corporate Tax Authority – allowing counties to raise B&O taxes for the first time in state history.

“H.R. 1 says public wealth belongs in private hands. I reject that,” Scott said. “We can choose austerity, or we can choose solidarity. And I’m choosing solidarity.”

Learn more here: https://housedemocrats.wa.gov/blog/2025/12/04/rep-shaun-scott-unveils-well-washington-fund-a-progressive-payroll-excise-tax-to-protect-washington-families-from-trumps-austerity-budget/

https://youtu.be/dM7ItV18sPo

OLYMPIA – Flanked by workers, union leaders, professors, housing advocates, and progressive tax coalitions, Rep. Shaun Scott (D–Seattle) introduced the Well ...

10/11/2025

All we have is one planet. Join me at the Tax the Rich Town Hall TONIGHT to learn more about how we can fund environmental justict with economic justice.

TAX THE RICH TOWN HALL:

📍 Seattle First Baptist Church
🗓 Saturday, October 11 - TODAY!
⏰ 3:30 PM

Info and RSVP Here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2005894500160261

10/10/2025

If the other Washington is going to defund health care, our Washington must fund it by making big business pay what they owe in taxes. Join me THIS SATURDAY at the Tax the Rich Town Hall as we fight to fund health services in Washington State.

TAX THE RICH TOWN HALL:
📍 Seattle First Baptist Church
🗓 Saturday, October 11
⏰ 3:30 PM

Info and RSVP Here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2005894500160261

10/10/2025

If the other Washington is going to defund health care, our Washington must fund it by making big business pay what they owe in taxes. Join me this Saturday, October 11th at my office's Tax the Rich Town Hall to discuss how we can fight for the health care funding we need.

10/10/2025

If ICE is going to recruit new agents by offering student debt forgiveness, we can fight back with free college. The Washington State Legislature can make that happen for thousands of students by striking a tax cap for big tech companies who should be paying more into the workforce education account.

Let’s turn shared frustration into shared power. When the 43rd speaks with one voice, we can make real change. Join me at my Tax the Rich Town Hall on Saturday, October the 11th to get involved in this fight to fund basic services.

TAX THE RICH TOWN HALL:
📍 Seattle First Baptist Church
🗓 Saturday, October 11
⏰ 3:30 PM

RSVP Here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FVFXfBQd4/

07/03/2025

In moments like this—when our communities are under attack by anti-immigrant raids, anti-trans hate, and more—we need to show what real community care looks like.

That’s why I’m inviting you to join me for a Crisis Care Center Town Hall on Monday, July 7 at 7 PM at Vermillion on Capitol Hill.

We’ll be talking about the proposed crisis care center for the old Polyclinic building—part of the mental and behavioral health expansion funded by the 2023 King County Crisis Cares Levy. These centers are essential for people experiencing addiction, a mental health crisis, or homelessness—and they need our support.

Inclusivity means welcoming refugees and migrants—and also supporting people who are already here and might be struggling. We can’t let fear or misinformation stop this much-needed resource from moving forward.

I’ll be joined by Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck , comedian Brett Hamil, and representatives from King County, Washington - Government’s Department of Community & Human Services for a night of comedy, drinks, and civic action.

Let’s make it clear: in the 43rd LD, we don’t just talk about justice—we organize and fight for it.

🎟️ RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1T1DLaMK1Z/
📍 July 7 • 7 PM • Vermillion Art Gallery and Bar on Capitol Hill
🎤 Let’s show up and show what solidarity really looks like.

06/01/2025

Your Sunday Read:

“Many saw him as more myth than state lawmaker: Frank Chopp, the mustachioed mafioso who wielded the gavel as Speaker of the House, and who wielded as much power as any state lawmaker in Evergreen history. I knew him as a mentor and a friend, as a co-conspirator at the social services agency Solid Ground, and as a fellow organizer thirty years my senior who I followed into the Washington State Legislature. As our association unfolded beginning the summer of 2020, I came to see that Frank’s working-class background was central to his life’s work in ways that weren’t part of how he was perceived.”

As we gather today to honor the life and legacy of Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp, I wanted to share a piece I wrote reflecting on the profound impact he had on our community—and on me personally. Frank’s unwavering commitment to social justice, affordable housing, and empowering the marginalized has left an indelible mark on Washington State.

Read the full piece here:

Recently departed Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp would have turned 72 today, and already the activist roots, which grounded his political career have been seldom included in the frame of remembrance since he passed away on March 22. It’s true that Chopp was a 21st century political rarity: a powerfu...

05/01/2025

On this May Day — International Workers’ Day — we honor the power of working people to organize, to strike, and to stand up for justice. A century ago, unionized workers built the very Capitol building where I now serve. They laid its stones and stood strong through work stoppages to demand dignity and fair pay.

From the picket lines of the past to today’s labor actions, the fight for fairness on the job continues. Whether it’s better pay, safer conditions, or the right to organize, workers remain the backbone of our economy and our democracy.

In recent years, workers across Washington — from nurses to teachers to machinists — have made the difficult decision to strike in the face of unfair conditions. Their courage reminds us why strong worker protections matter. That’s why I spoke on the House floor in support of SSB 5041 — a bill to extend unemployment insurance to workers who are on strike or locked out.

This is about more than policy — it’s about solidarity in action. If we truly value labor, we must protect those who take the courageous step of standing up to powerful corporations.

Today and every day, I stand with workers — and I’ll keep fighting for policies that reflect the true value of their labor.

04/15/2025

House Bill 2045 is one of the most important pieces of legislation this session — it asks our largest corporations to pay their fair share so we can avoid devastating cuts to education, healthcare, and social services. But as it’s written, HB 2045 includes a massive exemption for large manufacturers. That’s why I’m introducing an amendment to close the exemption and also create a performance-based incentive. Under the amendment, large manufacturers would initially pay the standard rate, but after four years, could earn a 25% tax reduction — if they avoid mass layoffs, retain jobs in Washington, and increase apprenticeship opportunities. This is about fair taxes and strong communities — let’s make HB 2045 the bold, pro-jobs, progressive policy it needs to be.

04/10/2025

IT'S HAPPENING! Applications are NOW OPEN for e-bike rebates through WE-Bike, Washington’s first-ever statewide e-bike rebate program!

The two-week application window is open through noon on Wednesday, April 23. Apply anytime within that window on our new WE-Bike program application website, which features answers to frequently asked questions about the application.

These rebates aren’t first come, first served: You’ll have the same chance of receiving a rebate no matter when you apply within the two-week window. No Taylor Swift and Beyoncé ticket drama here!

APPLY HERE before noon on April 23: https://ebikeswsdot.aptim.com/