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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The 2026 legislative session got underway last week and will adjourn on March 12.
I have heard from many of you in the 14th District this interim. I appreciate your comments, concerns, and input as I work to make Washington state a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
I am focused on affordability, public safety, holding our state government accountable, and pushing for fiscal responsibility in the budgeting process. Those are the concerns I heard most from you.
Affordability
In the interim, I talked a lot about Washington’s affordability crisis and the state’s ranking as one of the most expensive places to live in the country. Last year’s record-breaking tax package exacerbated the problem for individuals, families, and employers.
Despite the massive $9.2 billion tax increase, our state is already facing another budget shortfall — $1.5 billion for the 2025-27 budget cycle and $4.3 billion over the 4-year outlook period.
The majority party is considering additional tax increases including:
- 9.9% state income tax on “high earners.”
- 1% wealth tax on worldwide assets over $100 million.
- 5% payroll tax on wages above $125,000.
- Increasing property tax growth rates from 1% to 3%.
- Higher real estate excise taxes.
- 11% tax on firearms, ammunition, and parts.
You can find the list of tax bills here.
The most concerning of these is the so-called millionaire’s tax, or state income tax, that the governor is supporting. The bill has not been introduced yet, but it would supposedly impose a 9.9 percent tax on earned income above a specified threshold. That makes it a graduated income tax, which is unconstitutional in Washington state. The main concern is that if this tax is passed and upheld by the courts, it would only be a matter of time before the income tax would apply to ALL Washingtonians.
The governor included this in his proposed operating budget which he released in December. There were other concerning items in his plan, including:
- It does not balance over four years, as required.
- It taps the Budget Stabilization Account (BSA), leaving only $1 billion in the account
- That leaves budget reserves at 3% (state treasurer recommends 10%).
- Makes severe policy-level reductions to programs that serve our most vulnerable.
House Republican budget lead Rep. Travis Couture put together a budget plan to show that a more fiscally responsible plan can be done. The proposal does not raise taxes, protects our state’s most vulnerable, restores essential services, and brings accountability to the budgeting process and our state government. Click the banner below for details.
Greenhouse gas emissions
House Republicans are looking at all aspects of affordability. Given the millions of dollars Washington state has invested in its climate policies, I have introduced legislation, House Bill 2150, that would require the Washington State Department of Ecology to publish a complete greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) inventory starting on Jan. 1, 2027, and report on it quarterly.
The most recent data the department has reported only covers emissions through 2021. Without current inventory, we do not know if we are reducing emissions. Emissions-reduction policies have imposed substantial compliance costs on consumers, businesses, utilities, fuel suppliers, and local governments. We need to find out if the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction policies are effective and worth the cost. It is about accountability.
It should be noted that state officials recently acknowledged that they vastly overstated emission reductions from climate law due to a data entry error. The stated benefits could be off by as much as 86%.
- Washington state’s climate-fighting claim is hot air, officials admit (KUOW Radio)
- Washington admits it exaggerated greenhouse gas reductions (Capital Press)
- WA overestimates climate law’s emission reductions by a long shot (The Seattle Times)
This is a good example of why we need current reporting on GHG and why it needs to be accurate. If state agencies fail to meet the quarterly reporting deadlines under my legislation, the GHG reduction policies would cease to be enforced. This includes the Zero Emission Vehicle program, the hydrofluorocarbon and refrigerant standards and programs, the Climate Commitment Act, the Clean Fuels Program, the Clean Energy Transformation Act, and the building energy use performance standards.
Drug crisis
If you follow my legislative communications, you know I am very passionate about tackling Washington state’s drug crisis with common-sense solutions. You will find a couple of my op-eds on the issue below.
- Washington state’s drug crisis management has been the wrong Rx
- Common-sense solutions for Washington’s drug crisis
This session, I introduced House Bill 2168, which would implement a real-time overdose dashboard. The bill had a public hearing the first week of session. You can read the news release here.
Information in real time could be utilized to alert certain service providers of a potential overdose problem area, as well as allocate resources and services for substance use prevention. Tools and information could be available in a much timelier manner.
According to the Department of Health data, Yakima County had one of the highest overdose death rates in the state.
Other legislation
Two other bills I have introduced this session:
House Bill 2151 would align our state’s laws related to manufactured and factory-built housing with the national standards. This may help with our housing affordability crisis and potentially lower costs. The governor gave it a shout-out during his State of the State Address.
House Bill 2370 would require organizations receiving state funding for transitional or permanent supportive housing must assess housed individuals for a substance use disorder. This would help promote recovery and accountability in public-funded transitional housing.
Stay in touch
There are several ways to keep track of what is happening in Olympia and with our state government. Below are some websites that can help you follow the action.
- My legislative website: You will find my contact information, bio, news releases, email updates, opinion pieces, bills, and other information.
- Capitol Buzz: Sent out each weekday, featuring stories from media outlets throughout the state, including newspapers, radio, and television.
- How you can be involved in the legislative process: This includes a citizen’s guide to effective legislative participation.
- Committee Sign-In – Remote Testimony: Testify on legislation during public hearings.
- TVW: The state’s own version of C-SPAN, TVW broadcasts floor and committee action live online.
You can also stay connected by following us on social media.
Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns about this email update or the legislative session.
Sincerely,
Deb Manjarrez
