OLYMPIA – The 2026 legislative session convened today, with legislators facing a 60-day timeline to pass a supplemental budget and policy bills to advance priorities and build on last year’s progress.
“We need to be focused on the job the people sent us here to do, which is to protect the good things we have accomplished together, continue to make progress where we can, and reject bad things whether they come from this Washington or the other Washington,” Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) declared in remarks to the House chamber. “We will spend the next 60 days doing those things, and those things only.”
As with the 2025 session, legislators are beginning their work facing a shortfall in the state budget that will need to be closed. Higher inflation, more economic uncertainty, and greater price increases due to President Trump’s tariffs and harmful federal policies are impacting affordability for Washington households and businesses, as well as the state budget.
The passage of HR 1 by Congress in July of 2025, led by Trump Republicans, is causing health care premiums to spike for nearly 300,000 Washington households due to the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies. Around 180,000 Washingtonians will lose Medicaid coverage in the coming months through 2027 due to HR 1. Food assistance to 900,000 Washingtonians is also threatened by HR 1. Meanwhile, the state will need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to comply with red tape mandated by the Trump Administration for changes to Medicaid and food assistance that are part of HR 1.
The effects of these federal actions on state legislators’ work this session is not insignificant.
“We’ve been irresponsibly and inconceivably handed an incredibly expensive problem that will have dire ramifications for the people of this state,” Jinkins said.
Jinkins also underscored that Washington’s outdated tax code is failing to meet the needs of a growing population and increasing demand for state services. Majority Democrats will be looking at options this session to reform the tax code to be more fair and work better for all Washingtonians.
“It’s time for us to rebalance our tax code so it meets the needs of all the people of our state, including working people AND businesses,” Jinkins said.
The 2026 legislative session is scheduled to adjourn on March 12, 2026.