Dear friends and neighbors, 

The 2026 legislative session officially came to a close in March. Due to election year restrictions, this will be my last newsletter before election results are certified near the end of the year. However, my office is still hard at work serving our district! You can always reach out to us at 360-786-7694 or Vandana.Slatter@leg.wa.gov.    

This year, Washington faced significant challenges, including a roughly $2 billion budget and revenue shortfall. Combined with ongoing uncertainty at the federal level, this required hard financial decisions. I’ve heard from across our community about concerns over rising costs and making ends meet. Affordability remains a top priority in our state, and this session, we worked to help Washingtonians meet their basic needs, passed a difficult but balanced budget, and worked to protect our state from the chaos coming from the other Washington. 

Defending our values and our communities: 

What we’re seeing at the federal level is alarming and unprecedented. I’ve heard your calls, emails, and texts, and I share your concern. This session, my priority has been reducing harm to our communities — particularly to our health care safety net, critical scientific research, and the rising cost of living. The Legislature is also working closely with Attorney General Nick Brown to push back against efforts to undermine civil liberties, due process, and Washington’s values. The years ahead will be challenging, but Washington has never backed down from doing what’s right — and we won’t start now. 

This session, we passed legislation to defend our values, protect privacy (including voter data), and strengthen community safety. Here are some key measures we passed: 

  • Senate Bill 5855 prohibits local, state, and federal law enforcement officers — including ICE agents — from wearing face coverings while interacting with the public. 
  • House Bill 2165 bans individuals who are not law enforcement from wearing, displaying, or possessing badges or other law enforcement insignias.  
  • Senate Bill 5892 protects sensitive voter information by designating certain information (full birthdate, SSN, driver’s license number) as confidential. An election officer or designee who discloses confidential voter information will be guilty of a class C felony. 
  • House Bill 2105 requires employers to notify workers about federal I-9 form audits, protects against retaliation, limits federal access to employment records, and establishes enforcement mechanisms and penalties to ensure that workers’ rights are respected. 
  • Senate Bill 5105 addresses the use of generative AI to create obscene images of children. It expands offenses prohibiting dealing in, sending or bringing into the state, possessing, or viewing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct to include circumstances involving visual or printed matter that has been digitally created or altered and is obscene, regardless of whether the depicted minor is identifiable.   

Investments in the 48th Legislative District: 

This session, I worked to secure our fair share of funding for projects at home in the 48th. The capital budget funds local community projects such as parks, housing, and other infrastructure. It is financed through bond sales, dedicated state funds, and federal funds. The capital budget invests over $3 million in the 48th. You can view more about the projects funded in our community by clicking here. Under “district” select the 48th Legislative District.  

Here are some highlights from the capital budget: 

  • $1 million for Plymouth Housing to support 100 units of permanent housing and commercial space for community organizations. 
  • $109,000 for the Kindering Campus Safety and Security Package to support infants, children, and families, including those with disabilities, developmental delays, and other needs.  
  • $1.5 million for the Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS) Redmond Youth Center to support youth development, community safety, and access to programs and services. This investment leverages additional funding and partnerships across local, state, and federal levels. The center will provide a safe, welcoming space for young people from across the community to connect and access resources beyond home and school. 

The transportation budget pays for transportation activities, such as designing and maintaining roads and public transit. To review the transportation budget, click here. The operating budget pays for the day-to-day operations of state agencies, colleges and universities, and public schools (including federal funds and dedicated funds). To review the operating budget we passed this session, click here.  

Reforming our upside-down tax code and supporting working families: 

This session, we passed the Millionaires Tax to begin addressing Washington’s regressive tax structure and reduce the burden on working families. Washington’s upside-down tax code, combined with federal cuts to key services, continues to strain household budgets. 

In simple terms, the Millionaires Tax is a 9.9% tax on annual household income above $1 million. It is estimated to affect about 2,300 households in the 48th Legislative District and roughly 20,000–30,000 households statewide, out of Washington’s 8 million residents. The tax is expected to face legal challenges and could be subject to voter action before generating revenue, which is anticipated no earlier than 2029. 

Revenue from this measure is intended to support essential services and allow the state to reduce costs for families and small businesses by: 

  • Eliminating sales tax on personal care products, diapers, and most over-the-counter medicines.  
  • Eliminating the Business & Occupation tax for more than 65% of small businesses.  
  • Expanding eligibility for the Working Families Tax Credit to 460,000 additional households.  
  • Setting aside 5% of annual revenue to expand access to early learning programs and child care.  
  • Providing free school breakfast and lunch for all public school students.  

Our office has received many questions about the Millionaires Tax and how it would work. One common question is whether it applies to the sale of a home. It does not. The tax does not apply to home or small business sales. In addition, a credit is provided for the state capital gains tax to prevent double taxation on income from the sale of stocks, bonds, and other financial assets. For more information on the Millionaires Tax and answers to common questions, please click here.  

This session, we also rolled back prior increases in the estate tax and repealed retail sales and use taxes on certain services for schools and libraries, and we repealed the retail and use tax on live presentations offered by nonprofits. We passed legislation expanding property tax relief for seniors, people with disabilities, and disabled veterans. We also passed legislation to provide energy bill assistance to low-income households.  

  • Senate Bill 6162 expands the senior citizen property tax relief program, creates a standard $7,500 deduction for those who qualify, and consolidates the state property tax into one part. This is an opportunity to help keep seniors, those with disabilities, and disabled veterans in their homes and streamline property taxes statewide. 
  • House Bill 1903 establishes a statewide program within the Department of Commerce to provide ongoing energy bill assistance to eligible low-income households, helping reduce the share of income families spend on utilities. The program will work in partnership with gas and electric utilities to ensure assistance is reflected directly on customers’ monthly bills. 

Improving our education system and supporting learners: 

As noted above, this year we faced significant budget challenges driven by federal shortfalls, rising costs, and growing community needs. I worked with school districts and colleges to protect last session’s funding, but some reductions were necessary to balance the budget, including in early learning programs and Running Start. 

Expanding pathways and opportunity through investments in higher education and workforce development remains a key priority for me. This session, we passed Senate Bill 5963, which automatically qualifies individuals eligible for Passport to Careers for the Washington College Grant and makes related administrative improvements. I will continue advocating for stronger investments in postsecondary education and workforce development. 

While the 2026 supplemental budget includes some reductions in K–12 funding, the nearly $1 billion in new basic education investments made in 2025 is maintained in the 2026 supplemental budget. Any reductions were carefully targeted to minimize classroom impact and include additional investments for students with the highest needs. 

This session, we protected student health and safety through legislation and provided educators the tools needed to create safer and more impactful learning environments. Here are some impactful bills we passed related to education: 

  • House Bill 1795 clearly establishes a set of comprehensive definitions around the use of all types of restraint and isolation in schools in order to both provide educators with better understanding of the options they have to maintain healthy, safe learning environments for all students while also protecting the rights of students to be free from unsafe and harmful practices. 
  • Senate Bill 5346 will help districts make informed decisions as they develop their own cell phone use policies at their schools.  
  • Senate Bill 6268 provides parents with more tools to understand how to support their students with disabilities and creates a more transparent and equitable system of support.    
  • House Bill 2557 ensures that parents of students with disabilities have the ability to participate in a more meaningful, collaborative, and informed discussions for establishing the educational needs of their child.  
  • Senate Bill 6065 will provide districts in financial distress an additional tool as they build back to financial solvency. 

In addition, we partnered with the Ballmer Group to pass Senate Bill 5872 to expand access to early learning programs, helping more children start kindergarten ready to succeed. Supporting students from pre-K through college and into the workforce is critical to Washington’s future. That’s why I introduced legislation to better align our preschool-to-workforce system. Overall, given limited resources, we focused on preserving basic education, but more work remains to keep schools open and sustainably fund educational pathways. 

Expanding access to health care and supporting hospitals and providers: 

We are paying for federal tax cuts for the wealthy on the backs of our health care safety net, and I’m committed to finding ways we can ensure access to affordable health care without increasing premiums. I worked on legislation to help keep hospitals open, support providers, hold insurers accountable, and expand access to high-quality and affordable care. This year, the Legislature focused on streamlining processes to address workforce challenges and protecting health care providers in the face of federal funding cuts. Here are some key bills we passed related to health care.  

  • House Bill 2242 allows the State Department of Health to propose recommendations for vaccines based on medical and scientific evidence versus relying solely on federal recommendations, unsupported by credible science. 
  • Senate Bill 6183 ensures that HIV prevention and treatment medications are available without prior authorization and step therapy for enrollees in state-regulated plans and PEBB/SEBB.  
  • Senate Bill 5917 improves abortion access and reproductive rights with legislation expanding the availability of mifepristone pills, which are essential to both medicinal abortions and miscarriage care. 
  • Senate Bill 6182 sets up a permanent funding source for abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood. 

We also passed Senate Bill 5845, which I sponsored and will ensure hospitals receive payments from health carriers in a timely manner, so they can focus on providing care to Washingtonians. In addition, I introduced Senate Bills 5924 and 6210 to expand access to health care. Due to the 2026 legislative session only being 60 days long, these bills did not pass, but I anticipate working to move them forward next session. 

Combatting climate change: 

I’m committed to supporting legislation that protects our environment and keeps Washington a leader in clean energy and climate action, while also addressing rising energy demand and gas prices. With the Trump administration abandoning decades of science- and data-driven climate policy, it is more important than ever that we continue reducing emissions and expanding affordable, reliable energy options. 

That’s why I’m proud we passed Senate Bill 6246, which I sponsored. This bill establishes new reporting requirements for Emissions-Intensive, Trade-Exposed (EITE) industries to support meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. EITEs include major sectors such as steel, cement, pulp and paper, and aerospace manufacturing — some of our largest emitters. Supporting these industries in reducing emissions is critical to meeting our climate goals while protecting jobs and our state economy. 

I also supported Senate Bill 6355, which improves the affordability and reliability of our electric system and expands access to clean energy by enabling new investments in the grid. The bill facilitates public-private partnerships to strengthen existing infrastructure and build new capacity, allowing more renewable energy — like wind and solar — to come online and be transmitted across the system. 

A key focus this session was balancing the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence and data centers with affordability, reliability, and sustainability. I supported legislation to address this rapid expansion, but it did not pass this session. I will continue engaging on this critical issue. 

Expanding affordable housing: 

I have heard from seniors on fixed incomes, renters, young families, and people across our community who are concerned about the rising cost of housing. That’s why this session I introduced legislation to help ensure affordable housing properties that are owned by nonprofits are exempt from property taxes. 

This session, we cut red tape to streamline permitting for local development, supported affordable housing projects on land owned by religious organizations, and committed over $200 million to build and preserve affordable housing. We also passed Senate Bill 6200, allowing renters to use safe, portable air conditioners while protecting property owners from liability. I was proud to sponsor this bill because renters need ways to stay cool as extreme heat becomes an increasingly serious public health risk.  

Here are more legislative highlights from this session related to housing:  

  • Senate Bill 6026 unlocks underutilized commercial land by rezoning many of these areas to residential and allowing local governments to determine where ground-floor retail requirements should apply. 
  • Senate Bill 6027 preserves existing permanent and supportive housing by expanding allowable uses of local housing-related sales tax programs to support operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation instead of primarily new construction. It also updates a Department of Commerce program that helps cover operating costs for housing serving Washingtonians with the highest level of need. 
  • House Bill 2266 helps ensure shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing can be built more predictably by requiring cities and counties within urban growth areas to allow these housing types wherever residential housing or hotels are allowed, subject to the same zoning standards.  
  • House Bill 1687 allows local governments to streamline and waive red tape and requirements for mixed-income and affordable housing projects being built by a social housing developer.  
  • House Bill 1859 supports religious organizations that want to build affordable housing for low- and very low-income families on their land by allowing mixed-income projects to qualify for a density bonus while maintaining long-term affordability requirements. 

It’s critical residents of the 48th district have access to the resources and services they need. Here are some helpful resources: 

Resources for Seniors: 

Resources for Children and Families:  

  • Dial the number 211 to connect with community resources statewide. 
  • Dial 988 to connect with crisis support lifeline for mental and behavioral health challenges. 

Immigration and Refugee related resources: 

 

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the 48th Legislative District. I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to visit our office in Olympia, join a coffee chat, or call our office. Your questions, input, and feedback are essential to our work. 

As always, it is a privilege to serve the 48th. 

Thank you for all you do, 

 

Sen. Vandana Slatter