A controversial proposal that will tax big businesses in Seattle to alleviate the city's homelessness and affordable housing problems was approved Monday. The Seattle City Council passed it unanimously in a 9-0 vote. The final package, however, is almost half the size of the original proposal, which never garnered a veto-proof majority on the council. The newly passed ordinance, which takes effect in January 2019, will impose a "head tax" on the city's highest grossing businesses. Amazon is still not pleasedAs a result of the scaled back head tax, Amazon would see its potential bill fall from an estimated $20 million a year to $12.4 million, given that it employs about 45,000 people in the Seattle area.

Source: CNN May 14, 2018 21:11 UTC