2026 interim •

An unsustainable operating budget. Record-breaking tax increases. An affordability crisis. High property crime rates. Declining test scores. Increasing gas prices. The charts below illustrate a catalog of crises facing Washington. You can learn more about the solutions Washington House Republicans have offered over the last two years to address these problems at this webpage: Fix Washington.

Operating budget: State spending has exploded as majority-party Democrats continue to grow the size and scope of state government. Their supplemental operating budget drains reserves, relies on billions in one-time funds, and spends $4.9 billion more than it anticipates to collect in revenue over the 2025-27 budget cycle. Rep. Travis Couture offered an Affordability First Budget in December that would have limited new spending, restored Medicaid cuts, protected K-12 education funding, and avoided new taxes.

Tax increases: Washington does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem. The majority party has failed to right-size state government, and Washington residents and employers are paying the price. According to a study from the Washington Research Council, the tax increases enacted by the Democrats over the last two years represent the largest in state history. Washington House Republicans opposed these measures and were able to help stop other tax increases from passing.

Affordability crisis: Washingtonians pay among the highest prices in the nation for groceries, gas, housing, child care, and other necessities, leading to an affordability crisis. A report from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis ranks Washington as the fifth-most expensive state in the nation. The data are from 2024, before Democrats passed their tax increases. Washington House Republicans have offered several proposals to lower costs in our state.

Crime: In January 2025, Gov. Bob Ferguson promised $100 million to hire more police officers and improve public safety. He also proclaimed in his inaugural address, “I’m not here to defend government. I’m here to reform it.” More than a year later, very few police officers have been hired, as the rollout of the state’s grant program has been mired in bureaucracy. Meanwhile, Washington continues to rank dead last in the nation for police officers per capita and had the third-highest property crime rate in the nation in 2024.

K-12 education: Washington student test scores have declined while spending per student has increased. Washington House Republicans offered solutions to address learning loss and declining test scores, empower parents with school choice, improve school safety, and prioritize financial education. Democrats ignored these bills and opted to cut $250 million from K-12 education in 2026, targeting rural schools, low-income students, and early learning programs.

Gas prices: The Climate Commitment Act (CCA), or carbon tax, has added an estimated 52 cents per gallon to the cost of gasoline in our state. Washington House Republicans opposed this regressive policy. In 2025, Democrats also increased the state gas tax to 55.4 cents per gallon, the third highest in the nation, with automatic 2% annual increases. At the same time, the CCA has failed to deliver on its promises, as the state has struggled to provide accurate climate data.

ICYMI: The 2026 legislative session ended on March 12. You can find a recap here. A list of Washington House Republican bills signed into law in 2025 and 2026 can be viewed at this webpage.

-Washington House Republicans