Washington State Legislature

Seattle is seeking a fix at the state legislature to grow its civilian crisis response program following resistance from the Seattle Police Officers Guild that has blocked expansion. To stay alive, Rep. Shaun Scott’s HB 1816 will need to pass out of committee before a February 21 deadline.

Despite Governor Ferguson’s hemming and hawing, state lawmakers are advancing a wealth tax that could raise $3 billion annually to fully fund public schools and avert a budget crisis. Passing it would ensure Washington State Democrats are living their values amidst Trump’s assault on public services.

State lawmakers are signaling intent to improve Amtrak Cascades service with legislation setting a goal of cutting the trip time from Seattle to Portland to 2.5 hours and boosting service to 14 daily trips with 88% on-time performance by 2035. If lawmakers pass the bill, the goal for trip time service north to Vancouver would be 2.75 hours.

As other states start to reassess their prioritization of expanding highway capacity in the face of ambitious climate goals and other transportation needs, Washington is still in denial mode.

With the baton passing from Jay Inslee to Bob Ferguson, Washington’s governor has placed more emphasis on fiscal austerity to solve the state's looming budget deficit. But some lawmakers are intent on raising new revenue to avoid deep cuts to social programs.

Democratic leaders are saying this is the year that the Washington State Legislature will finally pass rent stabilization, with momentum building behind Rep. Emily Alvarado's bill.

A new bill introduced at the state legislature by longtime housing advocate Jessica Bateman would represent a sea change, limiting the ability of cities and counties to mandate high amounts of parking.

A popular bill from 2024 that would legalize neighborhood cafes in residential areas across Washington is back in 2025. It will likely continue to face headwinds from local governments.