Friends and Neighbors,
The 2026 Legislative Session is in full swing! These first two weeks have flown by. While we’ve been busy having public hearings on bills and working in our committees, we’ve also taken some time to set the tone for the session this year.
Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins Opening Day remarks reminded us that we are here to “protect the good things we have accomplished together, continue to make progress where we can, and reject bad things.” And, as we recognized Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year, my colleagues reminded us all, in the spirit of Dr. King, we are here to serve all Washingtonians and ensure everyone has an opportunity to achieve their dreams. We’re here to fight for and take care of our communities, ensuring that they are safe, welcoming, and affordable, and that’s what we’ll do.
I have just a few reminders in this newsletter and some updates. Take a look below.
Have you taken our survey yet? 
My seatmate, Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, and I sent out a survey in our last e-newsletter to learn more about your priorities. This session is moving quickly but we still need to hear from you and learn what’s you care about the most.
The survey is still open. You can take it here.
If you’ve already taken our survey, thank you so much for your participation. Your experiences guide our work and help us be better representatives of the district while we’re in Olympia.
Here’s how we’re building on recent housing wins
Of course, I have to take a moment to give you an update on how we’re addressing our state’s housing crisis. We’ve made great progress, passing over 25 housing related bills in the last five years, including some major wins (hello rent stabilization!). Now, it’s time to look at how we keep the momentum going. We have to keep building and increasing the housing supply in Washington. We also have to protect the gains we’ve made and protect our most vulnerable populations like our seniors. Finally, we must hold everyone involved – from landlords to local governments – accountable to the new laws.
Hear more about this latest strategy in my most recent video here.
A quick update on my bills
Lastly, I wanted to give you a quick update on some of my bills.
Sticking with the housing theme, here are a few housing related bills that I’m working on this year:
HB 2266 – creating more opportunities for STEP (shelters, transitional, emergency, and permanent supportive) housing to be built in urban areas.
HB 2512 – opening up more home ownership opportunities by prohibiting real estate agents from marketing residential properties to an exclusive group of prospective buyers or real estate brokers.
Outside of housing, I always want to ensure we are protecting the animals in our lives. Here are a few bills in that realm as well:
HB 1904 – bans the declawing of cats except for therapeutic purposes.
HB 1608 – bans the sale of farmed octopus.
And we are still working on ways to increase access to justice in Washington:
HB 1137 – establishes guidelines and requirements for placing incarcerated people in solitary confinement so fewer people are subjected to the devastating impacts of the isolation.
You can see every bill that I’ve sponsored this biennium on our legislative website.
Follow my legislative Facebook page for regular updates from my office, like who comes to visit, in between these newsletters. Click the image to hear from some recent visitors to my office.
That’s all for now but there’s certainly more to come. Thank you for staying engaged with the legislative process. I look forward to providing you with more updates.
Sincerely,
Rep. Strom Peterson