Orwall and Obras Field Questions at 33rd District Town Hall

On February 22, 2026, state Senator Tina Orwall and State Representative Edwin Obras hosted a 33rd District legislative district town hall at Highline College. They were joined by Washington State Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer. The other 33rd District state representative, Mia Gregerson, was unable to attend due to working on the state budget.

The meeting started at 2 pm and wrapped up shortly after 3 pm.

Town Hall Format

Roughly 110 attendees sat at tables in the Highline College student center. The three speakers were on the stage. SeaTac Mayor Mohamed Egal served as moderator.

Town Hall Report

After introductions, at 2:15 pm, Commissioner Kuderer presented briefly on help available for people impacted by recent floods. She mentioned that some assistance comes from the state, not just the federal government. That means flood victims are not entirely dependent on decisions made in Washington, DC.

At 2:25 pm, Senator Orwall began reading questions submitted ahead of time by constituents.

The audio was of intermittent quality, so accurately recording every response was not possible. Instead, here is a summary of the major topics.

ICE and Detention

Approximately one-third of the total Q & A time was related to immigration enforcement and detention.

Subtopics included: 

• Safety in detention centers
• Schools possibly being impacted by immigration enforcement
• Conditions inside detention facilities
  

The Proposed State Income Tax

Representative Obras referred to the income tax proposal SB 6346 as the “millionaire tax,” because initially it is designed to tax income of a single person or couple earning more than one million dollars per year. He cited statistics about how taxes are currently paid in Washington State.

Without full context of what is included in those statistics, it is hard to evaluate the assertions he made. Obras cited several reasons to support the tax, then described a few arguments he said he has heard against it. This reporter has heard other concerns that were not addressed during the town hall.

Rep. Obras also referenced changes tied to the proposal, including:

• A reduction in the Business and Occupation tax for small and mid-size businesses.
• Elimination of the state portion of the sales tax on certain personal care products, including diapers.

He said there were only a few tax returns in the 33rd District reporting income of one million dollars or more per year, and expressed his “hope for some grace” from those taxpayers. No source was cited for this figure, such as IRS data, census data, or state records.

Senator Orwall also chimed in with a few comments about the income tax. She expressed concerns about some aspects of the bill, including her wish for property tax relief, using the phrase “work in progress” to describe the legislation.

Broader Tax Context

There was no discussion of lessons learned from the estate tax increase to 35 percent. The rate is now being reconsidered, with some pointing to high net worth residents relocating or restructuring assets to reduce their tax burden.

There was also no discussion of potential secondary impacts of an income tax, such as:

• Whether higher income taxes could reduce real estate investment and therefore property tax revenue
• Whether charitable giving could decline
• Whether business investment and job opportunities could be affected

Town Hall Format

The format allowed only for discussion of questions read by the elected officials.

There was:

• No live microphone for audience follow up
• No opportunity for clarification
• No ability for attendees to note if a paraphrased question omitted key points

Asthma, Airport, Air Quality

Senator Orwall briefly mentioned a tax on aviation fuel that could help fund air quality improvements. The topic was addressed only briefly.

Flooding Insurance and Artificial Intelligence based Denials

Commissioner Kuderer discussed artificial intelligence in health insurance claims processing. She said some insurance companies are using AI and that the result has been a very high rate of claims denial.

She emphasized:

• Her office is available to help Washington residents with insurance concerns
• The state insurance website has been redesigned
• The updated website has a stronger focus on consumer support and information

Education Funding, Absenteeism, Mental Health

Two education-related questions were raised:

• Higher education funding
• Absenteeism in K12

Senator Orwall mentioned she had a bill addressing several youth mental health issues, including boosting attendance through support for community organizations. The bill 5369, did not advance this session.

After the Meeting

After the presentation concluded at 3:05 pm, the elected officials stayed to meet with individuals for one on one and small group conversations.

To close, I asked legislative aides for Senator Orwall and Representative Obras whether the electeds read all the emails they receive from constituents.

The answer was yes. However, they are currently receiving “thousands” of emails, phone calls, and form submissions.

If you want to contact your elected officials, the state website includes phone numbers and email information.