Dear friends and neighbors,
The 2026 legislative session is underway, and much like last year, it will be dominated by some familiar issues — affordability, passing a sustainable budget, and protecting our state from an increasingly hostile federal government.

Affordability is a top issue. I hear all the time about the struggle to afford groceries, health care, child care, and other needs. There are several policies on the table to help support working families in our communities, including a bill to address medical debt, one to help out utility ratepayers, and another to cut property taxes for seniors, which I am proud to co-sponsor.

Health care costs are especially out of control. I recently wrote about this issue in the Aberdeen Daily World. Here’s a link.

But the main policy issue we will deal with during this short session is the state budget. I am generally supportive of the governor’s approach. He combines some targeted reductions with the elimination of some corporate tax breaks to help balance our budget.

Ultimately, the Legislature will craft its own budget proposal, and we must be thoughtful about what programs we reduce and what taxes we raise. Cutting too deeply can make affordability issues worse for families who need child care, make our forests more susceptible to wildfires, or drive up health care costs.

Our state also has one of the country’s worst tax structures. Creating a new tax that would possibly ask the wealthy to pay a little more cannot be implemented in time to address the budget shortfall this year (I’ll talk more about that in a future newsletter). That leaves only regressive taxes like sales, property or business taxes, and I do not support increasing those.

We have a real challenge in front of us, just like all of you do when it comes to figuring out your household budget. And just like all of you, we will need to make tough, but thoughtful decisions to ensure the needs of our state are met.

Rural health care access
Access to health care in rural communities like ours is an issue I hear a lot about. People are concerned. Federal cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will hit areas like ours especially hard. Our rural hospitals rely heavily on Medicaid funding and cuts threaten access to care and services for people across the Olympic Peninsula.

Just before session started, I had the pleasure of meeting with leaders and staff at Summit Pacific Medical Center in Elma. We spoke about the challenges they face and their priorities, which include expanding access to care, continuing to improve their infrastructure and services, and ensuring they’re able to meet the needs of the people they serve in east Grays Harbor County.

Summit is such an important resource for us. It’s a 24-hour facility that operates as a critical access hospital and Level IV trauma center, among other services.

The Legislature must do everything it can to keep places like Summit ready to meet the needs of our community. But more than that, we need the federal government to step up and take action to reverse some of the more devastating impacts of H.R. 1 to ensure people can continue to access the type of care places like Summit provide.

Food Lifeline Award
I recently was named, along with several of my legislative colleagues, a Food Lifeline Legislative Champion by Food Lifeline.
As chair of the Senate’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, the issue of hunger is always top of mind. Because of that, I worked to ensure funding for senior nutrition programs in our state.

Hunger is an especially frustrating problem because it is so solvable. Everyone needs food, and everyone should have access to it. Yet the rising cost of food and massive cuts to foodbanks, again thanks to H.R. 1 and federal Republicans, are making a bad situation worse.

I appreciate this recognition and renew my commitment to doing everything possible to ensure no Washingtonian goes to bed hungry.

Stay in touch 
Our office is always ready to help you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us and share your thoughts or concerns. This work can’t — and shouldn’t — happen without you.

Thank you for being such an essential part of our community and for your continued trust. It is an honor to serve you in Olympia.

 

Mike Chapman