HIGHLIGHTS FROM A PRODUCTIVE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Dear friends and neighbors,

Last Thursday evening marked the final day of this year’s legislative session. It was also my last Sine Die ceremony. After 15 years, I’ve decided to step down and go back to district to spend time with family and friends, and the great community we have built together.

But this is not quite goodbye just yet. As we have always done after the end of each session over the past few years, your 49^th district delegation will hold a town hall meeting in Vancouver, and I’ll make sure to send you an invite as soon as all the details are finalized.

I also plan to continue our last Saturday of the month coffee & conversation events. Our next one will be on Saturday, March 28, at the usual time and place: 9 am at Late Da Coffee House. I’m looking forward to seeing you and discussing our session wins.

UPDATE ON BILLS

Property Tax Relief I am happy to report that the companion to my HB 2621 passed both chambers and is headed to the governor’s desk. This legislation will expand the Senior Citizen Property Tax Relief Program to an additional 30,000 households. Seniors built the communities we live in today, and they deserve a property tax relief program that keeps up with the rising cost of living. This measure modernizes our property tax structure, and expands the program so more seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities can stay in their homes with dignity, stability, and financial security. The bill also allows seniors to rent out a room in their home and earn up to $6,000 a year without that income counting against their eligibility for property tax relief. Other Legislation I Supported This Session I was proud to co-sponsor several other important measures that will benefit communities across Washington, including: HB 1170 – Transparency Around Artificial Intelligence: As artificial intelligence becomes more common, it is increasingly difficult to tell whether online images, audio, or videos are real or generated by AI. This legislation requires large AI developers to provide tools that help identify AI-generated content, giving people more information about what they see online and helping build trust in emerging technologies. HB 2225 – Protecting Young People in the Age of AI: As artificial intelligence tools become more common online, it is important to ensure they are used safely—especially by young people. This legislation establishes safeguards for AI companion chatbots, including transparency requirements and protections when these systems interact with minors. HB 2303 – Workers’ Privacy and Bodily Autonomy: As technology evolves, workplace protections must keep pace. This legislation prohibits employers from requiring or coercing employees to have microchips implanted in their bodies as a condition of employment, protecting workers’ privacy and bodily autonomy. HB 2242 – Access to Preventive Health Care: Preventive care helps people stay healthy and catch medical issues early. This legislation ensures Washington residents can continue receiving many preventive services—such as vaccines, screenings, and well-child visits—without additional out-of-pocket costs through their health insurance. HB 2266 – Expanding Access to Housing and Shelter: This bill helps address Washington’s housing and homelessness challenges by making it easier to build permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and indoor emergency shelters. By reducing certain local barriers, communities can move more quickly to provide safe, stable housing for people in need.

A WORD ON THE MILLIONAIRES’ TAX

Last week, 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 will only apply 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 to lower the $1 million threshold.

As a state, we have not been able to fully fund education and other critical services that people need, deserve and expect. This year we were not able to maintain everything the state should be able to provide at the required levels.

The reason I supported the millionaire tax is that I support a tax system that is fair, sufficient and sustainable, and the legislature made big changes to do just that. Watch my video update for more on this legislation:

The millionaires’ tax will not go into effect for a couple of years, and that’s when other unfair taxes will be reduced. Until then we face lean times for services and programs, as well as rising costs. But, once implemented, this huge shift in our tax policies will allow the state to:

• Expand the Working Families Tax Credit so 460,000 more families become eligible
• Ease the burden on small businesses with a B&O tax break
• Provide universal school meals for all Washington students
• Prepare more kids for a successful life with investments in Fair Start for Kids, child care, early learning, and K-12 education
• Exempt diapers, hygiene products, and over-the-counter medications from sales tax
• 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. 

Moving towards a fairer taxation system will help ease the financial stress that many Washington working families are facing.

We had to make some hard choices in the short term. But the state budget will be better funded and more fair, sufficient and sustainable when the millionaires’ tax is in effect. This is a big win for the future of our state.

We are working on a frequently asked questions document on the millionaires’ tax; I will share it with you as soon as it’s done.

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.

This session, Democrats 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. These five bills, which passed both chambers, address some of the concerns we heard from many people across the state. I was proud to be one of the sponsors of the first two bills on this list:

• HB 2105– Immigrant Worker Protection Act: Ensures workers are notified when federal immigration authorities request employment eligibility records from their employer.
• HB 2165 – Prohibiting Law Enforcement Impersonation: Strengthens Washington law by making it a crime to falsely represent oneself as a peace officer or use official-looking badges or insignia to deceive others.
• HB 2411 – Supporting Workers Facing Hate Crimes: Expands the shared leave program so employees can use donated leave if they are victims of a hate crime or if their absence from work is due to ICE actions.
• SB 5855– Law Enforcement Face Coverings: Prohibits the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers to promote transparency and accountability.
• 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.