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The Week Ahead
2026 interim •
As the dust settles on the 2026 legislative session, below are more takeaways from the 60 days of action in Olympia. You can also find details on upcoming town halls and how to stay connected this interim.
Tax increases: In 2025, Democrats and Governor Bob Ferguson enacted the largest tax increase in state history — more than $12.5 billion in state and local taxes. In the 2026 legislative session, they piled on more — nearly $4.5 billion in state and local taxes. However, Republicans helped stop several other tax bills from passing. Learn more at this webpage.
Debates: There were several important floor debates in 2026. We have compiled highlights for some of these debates and posted them to YouTube. You can watch the videos in the links below.
- State income tax | Senate Bill 6346 | March 9-10
- House supplemental operating budget | Senate Bill 5998 | February 28
- Expanding attorney general investigation powers | Senate Bill 5925 | March 4
- Raiding LEOFF Plan 1 | House Bill 2034 | February 13
Details on these bills and highlights from other past floor debates can be viewed here.
Bills: In the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions, 87 bills prime-sponsored by Washington House Republicans were passed by the Legislature and delivered to the governor. Bill numbers, sponsors, descriptions, and more information can be found at this webpage.
OPR report: The Office of Program Research (OPR) provides nonpartisan policy, legal, and fiscal services for the Washington State House of Representatives and individual members. Each year, OPR produces a report that gives a brief description of every bill that passed the Legislature during the legislative session. The 2026 report is located online here.
Headlines: Explore more headlines and stories in The Capitol Buzz.
- WA’s status solidifies as one of the most expensive places in US | Washington State Standard
- Starbucks heads south? Coffee giant takes large office in Nashville, documents show | The Seattle Times
- ‘Deeply concerning.’ Tri-City leaders blast WA lawmakers for cutting education money | Tri-City Herald
- Report: Washington has one of the ‘worst-performing and least cost-effective highway systems’ | The Center Square
- Column: WA has a jobs crisis. Why won’t our leaders say it? | Alex Fryer/The Seattle Times
Crises: Affordability. Crime. Housing. Homelessness. Transportation. Washington continues to face a catalog of crises that negatively impact the daily lives of its residents. A lot of reporting and studies have examined these problems. You can find a collection of these stories at the platform below.
Town halls: Washington House Republicans are hosting several town halls across the state, including in-person and virtual events. Find the list of events here or by visiting our homepage.
Stay updated: The Current will return on April 18 with more analysis on the 2026 legislative session. You can also stay updated by visiting and bookmarking our legislative news aggregator, The Ledger, and following us on social media.
-Washington House Republicans
