Hair stylists, salon owners heading to Olympia to push back against Senate bill



SEATTLE, Wash. - - Thousands of hair stylists and salon owners from across the state are gearing up to make their voices heard at the state’s capital tomorrow. They’re pushing back against a new Senate bill they say could unfairly tax small hair salon owners and independent stylists.

No on 5326. The outcry against the Senate bill proposed by Senator Karen Keiser has been heard loud and clear.

“Tomorrow we’re going down there to advocate for small business for hair stylists. It’s a very high volume, woman industry and we want to fight for the woman’s independence and the ability to make money,” said Jamie Oneill, a hair salon owner & stylist.

Dozens of people came out to Oneill's salon to create shirts and posters for Monday’s public hearing in Olympia. Hair stylists and salon owners who oppose Senate Bill 5326 say over-taxing small business is simply unfair.

“We have a hard enough time paying the taxes that the State of Washington requires and B & O, all of that, just with our overhead to keep afloat. But really what it does is it limits our work environment to where we don’t know if we’re going to be able to take care of our community,” said Oneill.

After hearing the concerns of hundreds of hair stylists across the state, Senator Keiser released a statement this week saying she’s already made some revisions to the bill.

"Sometimes intent and reality do not match– this is one of those times. The concerns I’ve heard have prompted two key changes to the bill:
•             “The section banning booth rentals will be removed.
•             ”The scope of the bill will be broadened to apply to barbers.”

“If you think about certain stylists that make say $30,000 a year as a booth renter. Then you come in and you hit them with say two to four thousand dollars to incorporate or to become a licensed business owner, they’re going to suffer,” said Lucretia Natason, a Labor Economist & former salon owner.

Satisfied with the new changes to SB 5326, stylists and owners now say they want to make sure the bill taxes everyone fairly and most importantly, that it helps them to maintain their financial independence.

Monday’s public hearing for Senate Bill 5326 at 10 am.