Washington’s tax system, ranked as the most regressive in the country by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, is not helping. The lowest-earning families in the state “pay about 17% of their income in taxes. And our top 10 percent pay about 2.7% of their income”, said Pramila Jayapal, a Democratic state senator. All income growth in Washington between 2009 and 2012 accrued to the top 1%, she added.