Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It’s a new year and the start of the 2026 legislative session begins January 12th. When the Legislature convenes next week, my greatest priority will remain the same: serving the people of the 11th Legislative District as effectively and transparently as possible.
Our democracy is strongest when everyone has a voice. That’s why, this fall, I hosted a mini town-hall and hope to host another one in February.
At the beginning of each session, I ask you to share your thoughts on the challenges facing our communities. The priorities you highlight help me focus in-on legislation and funding our community needs. I invite you to take my 2026 Legislative Session Survey by clicking here or using the button below. If you have additional thoughts, concerns, or advocacy you’d like to share, you’re always welcome to email me directly. I look forward to hearing from you.
Emergency Management & Flood Response
The December flooding along the Green River was a stark reminder of how vulnerable our communities are to extreme weather events. A levee breach near Tukwila prompted evacuation orders for residents and businesses in parts of Tukwila, Renton, and Kent, with warnings extending throughout the Green River and Cedar River corridors.
I want to thank local first responders, King County Emergency Management, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Washington National Guard, and the Red Cross for their rapid and coordinated response. Their work helped keep people safe during an incredibly challenging situation.
Additionally, I’d like to thank Governor Ferguson, Senator Cantwell, King County Executive Zahilay, King County President Sarah Perry, King County Council Member Steffanie Fain, Tukwila Mayor Thomas McLeod, and Kent Mayor Dana Ralph for joining us in Tukwila for a press conference and briefing on the statewide flooding emergency and their focus on helping our community.
At the state level, we have already begun strengthening floodplain resilience and emergency preparedness. In 2025, the Legislature made significant investments in floodplain safety, environmental protection, and water infrastructure recognizing that these systems are critical when disasters strike. As climate-driven events become more frequent, continuing this work will be essential.
Budget Challenges Heading into Session
This session begins under difficult fiscal conditions with a $3.2 billion maintenance level expenditure over the four-year outlook period. Primarily, detrimental impacts from HR 1 are resulting in increased funding requirements including an additional $900 million investment for DSHS and SNAP policy changes, $800 million for the Health Care Authority, $600 million childcare funding, and $500 million for special-ed funding.
While Washington’s economy remains resilient, slowing revenue growth, inflationary cost pressures, tariff impacts, rising caseloads for essential services such as food assistance, and structural weaknesses in the state’s tax system have created a significant budget gap. Governor Ferguson’s proposed supplemental budget addresses a projected $1.6 billion shortfall while maintaining a balanced budget without broad-based tax increases. The proposal preserves core state obligations, including K-12 education, Medicaid-supported services, and reproductive health care, while prioritizing affordability through continued funding for the Working Families Tax Credit.
The Governor’s plan funds approximately $700 million of $2 billion in agency requests identified as critical, bringing the total budget shortfall to $2.3 billion. To close this gap, the budget eliminates two targeted corporate tax preferences, captures unspent and one-time fund balances, implements agency reductions and delayed program expansions, temporarily reallocates select non-tax revenue sources, and uses $1 billion from the Budget Stabilization Account. The proposal also incorporates costs associated with federal policy changes, including tariff-related revenue losses and increased state obligations for health care and nutrition programs, while making targeted capital and operating investments in housing, transportation preservation, and infrastructure maintenance.
As a current member and former Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and current chair of the Early Learning and Human Services Committee, I’m approaching this year’s supplemental budget with a clear set of values. My goal is to protect access to food, shelter, and health care – especially for the most vulnerable among us. I am focused on a “harm reduction” approach: preserving progress where we can, making tough decisions where we must, and ensuring Washington remains a place where people can afford to live, work, and raise families.
At the same time, uncertainty at the federal level continues to loom large. This 60-day session will be another exercise in how our state can come together in defending fundamental freedoms and economic security for our neighbors.
Sincerely,
Rep. Steve Bergquist