Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Yesterday was the last day of the 2026 legislative session! Please keep an eye on your mailbox for a full update from me on the work we’ve done this year to support our community and our state. In the meantime, I’m excited to share results from my recent survey, highlight local projects in our Supplemental Capital and Transportation Budgets, and provide an update on an important bill heading to the Governor that supports early learning across Washington.
Survey Results
When it came to which cuts in the proposed House Supplemental Operating Budget would negatively impact your household the most, you shared that the state’s $870 million proposed transfer from the Rainy-Day Fund would have the greatest impact. This was tied with responses about reductions in administrative staff at higher education institutions by 1.5% and delaying rate increases for assisted living providers. This feedback clearly shows our community priorities: responsible budgeting and supporting higher education and communities in need of support, including assisted living programs.
I also asked which revenue proposals and tax breaks mattered most to you. The proposal with the most support was reversing the estate tax increase from 2025 (33%), followed by a tax on those earning over $1 million annually (17%). I think this reflects a growing recognition across our state that Washington’s tax system is very regressive – one of the most regressive in the nation in fact. Today, many working families pay a larger share of their income in taxes than the wealthiest households, largely because our system relies heavily on sales and property taxes. Proposals like a tax on income above $1 million – which would affect only about 0.5% of Washington taxpayers, are part of a broader conversation about creating a fairer tax system that better reflects the realities facing working families today.
Transportation Budget
The Supplemental Transportation Budget makes targeted investments to maintain infrastructure, support housing and education, and strengthen communities across Washington. The transportation budget focuses on maintaining and improving the roads, bridges, and transit systems people rely on every day, while also planning responsibly for the future as fuel tax revenues decline and construction costs rise.
Statewide, it adds about $300 million for highway preservation and maintenance, supports ferry construction and reliability, invests in pedestrian and bicycle safety, and continues climate and electrification programs such as electric buses and charging infrastructure.
Our district benefits from several major transportation investments. This includes continued funding for large regional projects like I-405 corridor improvements between Lynnwood and Tukwila ($1.4 billion). The budget also supports transit and mobility improvements across the region, including $37 million for Regional Mobility Grants supporting projects like RapidRide, reliability improvements, and transit signal upgrades. Additional investments include $15 million for green transportation projects, including electric buses and charging infrastructure for King County Metro, and $11 million for bus and bus facility upgrades.
Notably, the budget includes $17 million for the 42nd Avenue Bridge in 2027-29, a critical access point across our community for people and industry. About $6 million is allocated for corridor improvements along East Marginal Way. Together, these investments help keep people, freight, and transit moving safely and reliably throughout South King County.
Capital Budget
The Supplemental Capital (Construction) Budget builds on the state’s two-year $7.5 billion capital plan by making strategic investments in housing, schools, and community infrastructure. Statewide, it includes $221 million in additional funding for affordable housing and homelessness projects, bringing the two-year housing investment to nearly $1 billion, along with $78 million for public school construction and funding for flood response, tribal resilience, and improvements to state facilities.
In our district, the capital budget funds several local communities’ projects. This includes:
- $1 million for the Center of Success to provide additional affordable housing through the Affordable Housing Supply & Preservation fund,
- $309,000 for bathroom upgrades at Fort Dent Park, where thousands gather for community sporting events,
- $155,000 for an LED lighting retrofit at the Starfire Sports Complex to improve energy efficiency and provide better lighting during evening events,
- $509,000 including a $206,000 reappropriation for the Renton Resource Center to address gaps in hopelessness services through collocation of services,
- and $500,000 in reappropriated funding for a safe streets project in Renton to improve bike sharrows between 108th Ave SE and 116th Ave SE, pedestrian safety enhancements, crosswalk improvements, and ADA-curb ramps.
In total, the Capital Budget invests about $2.6 million in projects within the 11th Legislative District, helping improve community facilities, support local services, and make public spaces more sustainable and accessible.
What’s Next?
Now that you know what projects are being funded in our district, I’d love to hear which projects you support the most. Please consider filling out the survey below and I’ll share your feedback in my next update.
I’m also excited to share that Governor Ferguson will be signing Senate Bill 5872, a companion to a bill I introduced that creates a new account with the state treasurer to manage a generous donation from the Ballmer Group. This funding will help expand access to the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) by supporting more than 10,000 additional preschool slots across Washington over the next 10 years. ECEAP is one of the state’s most proven programs for helping young children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn, and this investment will help more families access early learning and give thousands of children a stronger start in school.
Additionally, I expect the Governor to be signing another one of my bills soon: HB 2714. This directs the Caseload Forecast Council to forecast the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the state Food Assistance Program. These forecasts will be a very helpful tool in understanding the level of need for programs across our state and addressing food insecurity in future budgets.
Thank you to everyone who has remained engaged this session, visited Olympia, reached out to me, and participated in great legislative programs like the Page Program.
As always, it is an honor to represent our community and the 11th Legislative District.
Sincerely,
Rep. Steve Bergquist