Dear friends and neighbors,
Now that the session is over and I am back home, I’d like to share some of the things we got done. While it was short (60 days) the 2026 session was intense and productive, and we achieved a great deal despite facing a significant budget deficit. In this newsletter, I share an update on my legislation and highlight key budget investments that support families, strengthen local infrastructure, and maintain services our communities rely on.
First, I want to thank everyone who joined our telephone town hall, our in-district town hall, or both back in February. It was great to discuss important policy and address some of the concerns we are hearing from constituents. If you missed the telephone town hall, you can listen to the audio here. And if you were unable to attend the district meeting, My Edmonds News covered it here.
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UPDATE ON MY BILLS
Seeing bills fall short during the legislative process is always difficult, especially when you know those policies could have made a difference in people’s lives. At the same time, when legislation makes it all the way through the process, there’s a sense of accomplishment, relief, and excitement knowing those policies will improve people’s lives. That’s how I feel about these four measures, two have been signed into law already, and the other two are on the governor’s desk:
HB 2105 – Immigrant Workers Protection Act: Immigrant workers are vital to Washington’s economy and to the communities that make our state strong. This legislation ensures workers are notified when federal immigration authorities request employment eligibility records from their employer. By requiring clear notice and information about available resources, the bill helps workers understand what is happening and gives them the opportunity to correct potential paperwork issues. Everyone deserves to be treated with fairness and transparency in the workplace, and this law helps ensure workers are not left in the dark about actions that could affect their livelihoods.
HB 2219 – Enhancing the operational efficiency of child care providers: Childcare providers face regulatory and staffing challenges that can make it difficult to manage daily operations, such as staff breaks and repetitive licensing requirements. My bill improves efficiency by allowing more flexibility to ensure staff rest and meal breaks through waiving repeat orientation requirements for experienced providers, and requiring licensed facilities overseen by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families to maintain a zero-tolerance policy for high-potency synthetic opioids, drug manufacturing equipment, and drug paraphernalia in child care settings. (Signed into law on March 17) HB 2475 – Language accessible public programs and services: Washington is home to people who speak many different languages, and everyone deserves to understand and access the public services their tax dollars support. This legislation helps ensure state agencies provide programs, services, and information in ways that are accessible to people in their primary language. By improving language access, the bill helps families better navigate government services and ensures more Washingtonians can fully participate in their communities. (Signed into law on March 23) SB 5847 / HB 2218 – Improving access to medical care for injured workers: When workers are injured on the job, they should be able to get the medical care they need quickly and without unnecessary barriers. This legislation helps ensure injured workers have clear information about their right to choose a medical provider and strengthens protections so they can access appropriate care during recovery. Supporting timely, high-quality treatment helps workers heal, return to their jobs, and continue supporting their families. I was happy to sponsor the companion legislation in the House. |
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CAPITAL & TRANSPORTATION HIGHLIGHTS
In addition to passing legislation, we also adopted the supplemental Capital and Transportation budgets, which include investments that support significant community spaces and help people reach their destinations reliably and safely.
The capital budget includes funding for two important projects in our district: $206,000 to preserve the historic Mukilteo Lighthouse, an important local landmark, and $103,000 for security upgrades at the Mukilteo Police Department. These investments help preserve community spaces while strengthening public safety infrastructure that serves families throughout our area.
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I’m sure you’ll get the full scoop on transportation from my seatmate, Sen. Marko Liias, but I want to share a bit of news on the ferry front since, in our area, reliable ferry service is essential for families, workers, and businesses. The supplemental transportation budget includes considerable investments in new vessel construction; advancing ferry terminal electrification; upgrading and modernizing the ferry scheduling system; and replacing outdated technology to improve coordination and reliability across the network.
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MAKING WASHINGTON MORE AFFORDABLE
One of the issues I hear about most from constituents is the rising cost of living, which is aggravated by our unfair upside-down tax code. Washington’s tax system is the second most regressive in the nation.
This year, after more than 24 hours of uninterrupted floor debate, we passed SB 6346, which creates a tax on incomes above $1 million per year. The first $1 million is exempt. So, if someone makes $1,000,001 in a year, the tax applies only to that final dollar. The measure also does not apply to homes, pensions, or retirement accounts.
Statewide, fewer than 1 percent of Washingtonians will pay this tax, and there are no plans in the near or far future to lower the $1 million threshold.
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The tax goes into effect in 2028, and collections will begin in 2029. Revenue from the millionaires’ tax will support:
- Expanding the Working Families Tax Credit so 460,000 more families become eligible.
- Exempting sales tax on diapers, hygiene products, and over-the-counter medications — combined with existing exemptions on food, nearly an entire grocery cart will be tax-exempt.
- Providing universal school meals for all Washington students.
- Investing in Fair Start for Kids, child care, early learning, and K-12 education.
- Easing the burden on small businesses with a B&O tax break.
- And much more.
We need this reform because our state’s regressive and outdated tax system hits working families the hardest. Take a look at the chart below: people in the bottom 20 percent of earners pay nearly 14 percent of their income in taxes, while the highest earners — the top 1 percent — pay just 4.1 percent.
That imbalance is real—and it’s fundamentally unfair.
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Moving towards a fairer taxation system will help ease the financial stress that many Washington working families are facing today.
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STANDING UP TO FEAR AND DIVISION
Washington’s greatest asset is its people. Our state is home to individuals and families from many cultures whose experiences and perspectives help shape our communities and our shared future. Continuing to build a strong and welcoming state requires listening to one another, learning from one another, and respecting our differences.
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This session, our caucus worked to address a troubling rise in hostility and intimidation directed at people because of their race, heritage, economic status, or immigration status. I believe Washington must remain a place where public safety coexists with civil rights and human dignity. The first two bills on this list have been signed into law and the other three are on the governor’s desk:
- HB 2165 – Impersonation of Law Enforcement: Makes impersonating a peace officer a misdemeanor to protect public trust and safety.
- SB 5855– Law Enforcement Face Coverings: Prohibits the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers to promote transparency and accountability.
- HB 2105 – Immigrant Workers Protection Act: Strengthens protections for immigrant workers against retaliation and coercion.
- HB 2411 – Allows use of shared leave for victims of hate crimesand for those whose absence from work is due to ICE actions.
- SB 6002– License Plate Reader (“Flock”) Camera Regulation: Prevents local surveillance tools from being used for immigration enforcement.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, these resources may be helpful.
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KEEP IN TOUCH!
Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter and for staying engaged in our community. As always, please feel free to reach out to my office if you have any feedback, questions, or concerns.
Sincerely,
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