News

Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle) and Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) issued the statement below Friday: “President Trump’s assertion that he can federalize the national guard without gubernatorial approval is deeply disturbing, and as we saw in court yesterday, completely incorrect. This militarization appears to be an attempt to provoke violence as Washingtonians stand up for their friends and neighbors who are currently being targeted at home, at school, and at work. We knew this was coming, and last session took action to help limit unauthorized National Guard deployments to the extent we’re able. “We ...

OLYMPIA — Senate Housing Committee Chair Jessica Bateman (D-Olympia) hailed the 2025 legislative session as one that made significant progress for housing affordability. “We came into this session with a three-pronged housing strategy — expand our housing supply, support homeownership opportunities, and provide stability for renters. On all three, we delivered significant progress,” Bateman said. “This is one of the most productive sessions on housing affordability our state has seen. It’s the result of strong coalition-building in and outside the Legislature, bipartisan collaboration with our Republican colleagues and sustained, long-term engagement with the community and our constituents who ...

OLYMPIA — The Legislature passed a $77.1 billion operating budget Sunday that protects essential services while significantly boosting support for K-12 education.  The budget includes both targeted reductions and new revenue streams to responsibly address the state budget deficit. It makes $3.1 billion in cuts in the 2025-27 biennium, contributing to $7 billion in total reductions over the four-year budget outlook. New revenue totaling $8.7 billion will be added, with a net of $4.3 billion in 2025-27 and $4.4 billion in 2027-29.  “This was a year that demanded hard, often ...

OLYMPIA — A revised version of rent stabilization legislation, House Bill 1217, was proposed by a conference committee of House and Senate members Thursday. The bill could potentially be voted on as soon as Friday evening.   The proposed compromise would cap rent increases at 7% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is less, while preserving much of the policy from earlier versions. Unlike the Senate-passed version, it would not exempt single-family homes from the cap. However, it would exempt new construction for 12 years, as well as affordable housing managed by non-profit organizations ...

Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen on the sudden passing of Sen. Bill Ramos (D-Issaquah): “Bill’s passing is a devastating loss for our caucus and for our state. He was a dedicated public servant who spent his life working to make other people’s lives better.  Although he joined our caucus only this year, he quickly became a beloved member of our team. “Bill was one of the most kind and joyful people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. He never let even the most serious matters get too serious. He made you like him the moment you met ...

House and Senate Democratic budget leaders released an updated legislative package to raise new progressive revenue and fund K-12 education and essential state services this week. It would raise nearly $12 billion over four years. “We’ve updated our proposal to reflect the feedback we received from our colleagues and the public,” said Sen. Noel Frame (D-Seattle), vice chair for finance of the Senate Ways & Means Committee. “This progressive revenue proposal raises taxes on some of the biggest, most profitable corporations worldwide and the wealthiest few individuals, directing funding to public schools, community safety, and the essential services ...

OLYMPIA — The 2025-27 bipartisan transportation package passed the Senate Saturday.  The bipartisan package, which includes a spending plan, revenue bill, and bond bill, closes the $1 billion shortfall in the state’s budget for the 2025-27 biennium and commits funding levels through 2031. The balanced, six-year plan invests about $9.2 billion to ensure the state can complete promised projects, preserve and maintain infrastructure, and increase road safety.  “This is a year of budget challenges, but through a spirit of collaboration and compromise, we found ...

OLYMPIA — The Senate approved a $78.5 billion operating budget plan Saturday that protects essential services while putting Washington on a stronger financial footing.  The proposal, which passed with a 28-21 vote, includes both targeted reductions and new revenue streams to address the state budget deficit. Over the four-year budget outlook, $6.5 billion will be made in cuts and $16 billion added in revenue — a net of $6.2 billion in the 2025-27 biennium and $9.8 billion in 2027-29.  New policy investments total about $800 million per year in the 2025-27 budget plan — ...