Washington Policy

Washington legislators seem more interested in expanding government's power than civically engaging citizens.

Legislators seems more concerned with consolidating power than giving the people a voice. The following bills are good examples of blatantly anti-democratic bills from the legislative session. washingtonpolicy.org/publications/d…

For the past few years, legislators have left Washington's budget in a deficit. That trend continues this year with the supplemental budget increasing spending yet again. washingtonpolicy.org/publications/d…

@costanza007 It should be online now!

@WAPolicyCenter Post this on your instagram asap so I can share it please

Stunningly, one of the defenses the Department of Ecology is using in our lawsuit is that they can't be sued for violating the law now because they've been negligent at their job for YEARS. If the state can't even manage to release reports on time in accordance with the law, how can we trust them to use billions of dollars effectively on expensive climate programs? @WAPolicyGreen

Small businesses drive innovation and jobs in our state. By providing accurate, up-to-date information, we're empowering you to overcome barriers and thrive. Visit the page today, use the Quick Start tool, and stay tuned for updates. If you have suggestions for cities to prioritize, let us know! washingtonpolicy.org/publications/d…

Lawmakers have passed a labor law for the living room, using workplace rules designed for HR departments. The result is a gray zone where families, house cleaners, adult caregivers, babysitters, gardeners, handymen and nannies may think they know what they are, until the state or a court says otherwise. washingtonpolicy.org/publications/d…

The good news: Gas prices will be slightly lower based on the carbon market auction! The bad news: They're still up 52¢ per gallon because of the CCA. washingtonpolicy.org/publications/d…

The rhetoric on the floor often ran headfirst into the actual votes. Majority members kept calling this a "tax on millionaires." Yet forty-nine of those same members voted against an amendment that would have constitutionally locked the tax to that specific group. The Legislature may have the votes in Olympia, but the people of Washington will have the final say. washingtonpolicy.org/publications/d…

With the income tax having passed the House, what will be the economic fallout of legislative changes for families and businesses? Join Washington Policy Center for a recap of the 2026 legislative session. If you want insight into the future of Washington's economic prosperity, you won't want to miss this. We've assembled an all-star panel to review the session and answer your questions, including Bellevue Chamber of Commerce President Joe Fain as moderator, plus Rep. Larry Springer, Deputy Majority Leader for the Washington State House of Representatives, Sandeep Kaushik, Political and public affairs consultant, and WPC's Ryan Frost, Director for Budget & Tax Policy. washingtonpolicy.org/events/detail/…

The income tax bill has passed the House. We’ve crossed the Rubicon. Democrats (minus the 8 who voted no) have failed Washington state, and if Gov. Ferguson signs this bill into law, it will put our economy into a death spiral. Now it will be up to the voters to clean up the mess. An initiative to repeal the income tax is the next step. The legislature may have the votes to pass a tax, but the people of Washington have the final say. #waleg

Washington has officially passed an income tax, with a vote of 51-46 in the House of Representatives. It will head back to the Senate for concurrence, then to the governor's desk.

The income tax bill is a far departure from what @BobFergusonGov said he would need in order to support it. @Frost_RyanW makes the comparison:

Amendment to exclude public pensions from the income tax fails. 52 Dems voted to tax the pensions of teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, and other public workers. #waleg

Rep. Mena (and 52 other dem's) voted "no" on the amendment that would limit the tax to millionaires and cap the rate at 9.9% in the constitution. #waleg

Gov. Ferguson's income tax demands vs current bill #waleg

The income tax has been debated for over 14 hours, with several amendments being shut down already, including one that would standardize how married incomes are considered, one to fund free school lunches, and one that would exempt active duty service members.

Ryan Frost of WPC finishes with these 3 key points: 1⃣The tax relief for small businesses is 10% of what Ferguson claimed he'd support. 2⃣The new income tax draft does NOT guarantee sales tax breaks/ holidays, or free lunches for school kids. Only 'intent'. 3⃣Democrats are attaching an emergency clause to prevent a yes/ no referendum because; they believe they can confuse enough voters with a November initiative that they write the title and fiscal impact statement to...directly on the ballot. (This was the 3rd and final video in the series. The previous two are available to watch on our X and Facebook feeds) @Frost_RyanW | @WAPolicyCenter | @TCSWashington