{"id":3176,"date":"2026-02-27T15:53:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T22:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/robinson\/?p=3176"},"modified":"2026-02-27T15:53:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T22:53:24","slug":"where-the-budget-stands-and-what-comes-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/robinson\/2026\/02\/27\/where-the-budget-stands-and-what-comes-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Where the budget stands \u2014 and what comes next"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear friends and neighbors,<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we continue working through a challenging budget year, our focus\u00a0remains\u00a0on protecting the essential services Washington families rely on every day. I want to share an update on where things stand, what\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0been hearing from you, and how\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0responding as the session moves forward.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

WHERE THE BUDGET STANDS<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Senate has\u00a0unveiled and\u00a0passed our proposed 2025\u201327 supplemental operating budget \u2014\u00a0an important step\u00a0toward ensuring Washington families can continue accessing the health care, long-term care, behavioral health, and food\u00a0assistance\u00a0services they rely on every day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s budget process has been especially challenging. Rising costs and increased demand for services \u2014 particularly in programs like Apple Health,\u00a0the Washington College Grant,\u00a0long-term care, and behavioral health \u2014 meant it would cost more simply to continue services already in place. At the same time, ongoing federal uncertainty has created the potential for\u00a0additional\u00a0costs to shift to states, putting further pressure on essential supports Washingtonians depend on.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, this proposal includes\u00a0difficult decisions\u00a0and reductions, none of which were made lightly. Throughout this process, our priority has been protecting the most critical services, preserving recent progress in expanding access to care and support, and\u00a0maintaining\u00a0long-term fiscal stability for the state.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Senate-passed proposal now moves to the House for consideration. Over the coming days, the House and Senate will work together to negotiate a final budget agreement before the end of the 60-day legislative session on March 12. Once passed by both chambers, the budget will head to the governor for signature.\u00a0<\/span>The full proposal is available\u00a0<\/span>here<\/span><\/b><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

WHAT WE\u2019RE HEARING FROM YOU<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve\u00a0heard from many of you who are worried about rising health care costs \u2014 and what ongoing federal instability could mean for your coverage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s\u00a0why I introduced\u00a0<\/span>SB 5808<\/span><\/b><\/a>, which helps us provide\u00a0additional\u00a0premium\u00a0assistance\u00a0through our Cascade Care Savings Program. This proposal would direct a\u00a0portion\u00a0of excessive surplus from nonprofit health carriers into the State Health Care Affordability Account to support subsidies for Washingtonians\u00a0purchasing\u00a0coverage through the Health\u00a0Benefit\u00a0Exchange.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At a time when federal decisions could shift more costs onto states and families, this is one way we can continue to keep coverage affordable and provide added support to those who need it most.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

THANK YOU FOR JOINING<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you to everyone who\u00a0participated\u00a0in our telephone town hall on Tuesday! Reps. Mary Fosse and Julio Cortes and I\u00a0truly appreciated\u00a0you taking the time to listen and ask questions.\u00a0If we\u00a0didn’t\u00a0get to yours or you\u00a0weren’t\u00a0able to join us, please contact our offices with your thoughts!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

STAY IN TOUCH\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Staying connected with the people I\u00a0represent\u00a0is one of the most important parts of this job. Your insights and feedback help shape the work we do in Olympia, and I value the conversations we have \u2014 whether\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0over email, on the phone, or in person. I encourage you to reach out, follow along for updates, and stay engaged in the legislative process as the 2026 session continues.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sincerely,\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Sen. June Robinson<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear friends and neighbors,\u00a0 As we continue working through a challenging budget year, our focus\u00a0remains\u00a0on protecting the essential services Washington families rely on every day. I want to share an update on where things stand, what\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0been hearing from you, and how\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0responding as the session moves forward.\u00a0 WHERE THE BUDGET STANDS\u00a0 The Senate has\u00a0unveiled and\u00a0passed our proposed 2025\u201327 supplemental operating budget \u2014\u00a0an important step\u00a0toward ensuring Washington families can continue accessing the health care, long-term care, behavioral health, and food\u00a0assistance\u00a0services they rely on every day.\u00a0 This year\u2019s budget process has been especially challenging. Rising costs and increased demand for services \u2014 particularly…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":3179,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-news"],"yoast_head":"\nWhere the budget stands \u2014 and what comes next - Sen. June Robinson<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/robinson\/2026\/02\/27\/where-the-budget-stands-and-what-comes-next\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Where the budget stands \u2014 and what comes next - Sen. 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