Hi neighbors,
Last Thursday was Sine Die, the final day of the 2026 Legislative Session. Here’s an update on the state budgets, bills I passed, highlights from the session, and what’s next.
Millionaires Tax
After a historically long debate in the House, the Legislature passed a bill that will impose a 9.9% tax on personal income over $1 million a year (less than 1 percent of Washingtonians would pay). I was proud to vote for the Millionaires Tax because it will generate over $3 billion a year for K-12 education, health care, and childcare, and expand the Working Families Tax Credit, returning money to Washingtonians who need it most. The Millionaires Tax will also fund free school lunch and breakfast for all Washington students. This is a significant step toward rebalancing our unfair tax system and ensuring that the wealthiest people in our state contribute to a thriving state.
Budget
We updated the 2025-2027 budget in response to increased need for services as well as rising costs. The supplemental operating budget protects key investments in Apple Health (Medicaid), the Washington College Grant, long-term care, and behavioral health, maintaining access to essential services families rely on every day.
I heard concerns from many constituents regarding funding cuts to child care, health care, and Running Start. I share these concerns and frustrations, especially as we navigate the impacts of devastating federal cuts from HR1. That’s why I voted against the rollback to the estate tax, opposed certain tax preferences, proposed the Apple Health Employer Assessment that would have helped fund health care, and pushed for new revenue to be directed towards programs that support children and families. I’m committed to navigating these circumstances responsibly, while fighting to preserve the services our communities rely on.
Capital & Transportation Budgets
The supplemental capital budget includes nearly $3.5 million for permanently affordable homeownership in South Park, $1.5 million for sports facility equity, $2.5 million for the Chinese Garden and Cultural Center, $412,000 for the Vashon Community Pool, and reallocates $634,000 to Food Lifeline.
The supplemental transportation budget plan would fund ongoing district projects, including improvements along the Rapid Ride H route, pedestrian safety in White Center, and improvements to the Seattle Ferry Terminal.
Legislative Victories
In this short session, we strengthened labor protections, addressed utility costs, created a path to much-needed housing, and fought to make Washington more fair and just.
We passed several bills to safeguard our communities from federal overreach. We protected our democratic process by passing HB 1916 to prevent mass challenges to voter rolls, SB 5892 to prohibit sharing of personal voter information, and HB 1750 to strengthen remedies when voting rights violations occur. We passed SB 5855, which prohibits law enforcement from wearing masks during interactions with the public, meaning ICE officers cannot conceal their identities.
I am proud to report that three bills I sponsored are on their way to the Governor’s desk! After four years, we finally passed my bill to stop Washington from the harmful practice of intercepting federal benefits from young adults in Foster Care. This will put dollars back in the pockets of young adults who need it, providing more financial stability and opportunity.
I’ve continued to focus on making housing more affordable. My legislation passed will remove barriers to siting shelters, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing our communities desperately need, so we can bring people inside. My bill SB 6026 responds to our state’s housing shortage, allowing residential development in commercially zoned land and removing barriers to building homes. A key part of making housing affordable is preserving the housing we have; my bill SB 6027 lets local governments use existing revenue tools to preserve affordable housing, ensuring that existing affordable housing is well maintained and residents have services and support.
Despite these victories, there is so much work left to do. Especially in these times, it feels hard to settle for incremental progress. You can count on me to keep pushing for bold action to strengthen our schools and make housing, child care, and health care more accessible and affordable for all.
Your Voice Matters!
Thank you to everyone who has called, emailed, or visited Olympia to share your opinions and priorities. Your input and feedback are essential to shaping the policies we move forward.
Stay in touch
Starting on May 4th, I will be subject to election year limitations. This means I can’t send out email updates or social media posts from my office, but I’ll be in touch after the election results are certified in December. You are still welcome to reach out with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas.
Phone: 360.786.7667
Telephone Relay Service: 1.800.833.6388 (TTY)
Legislative Hotline: 1.800.562-6000
Email me at Emily.Alvarado@leg.wa.gov or my legislative assistant KT Lewis at KT.Lewis@leg.wa.gov.
Sincerely,
Emily
