May 22, 2024
8th Legislative District | 2024 Legislative Report
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The Washington State Legislature concluded on March 7 following a short 60-day session. While several bad bills from the majority party will become law, there were successes. Six initiatives were certified and presented to the Legislature. Three of these were passed into law. As one of your 8th District lawmakers, I supported all six but feel more could have been done. The three remaining initiatives will be on the November general ballot.
Your 8th District team, in collaboration with you, our valued constituents, achieved major wins for the Tri-Cities. These wins include significant capital investments to create jobs and boost our local economy. The operating budget also passed without new taxes, a success we share with you. During the legislative session, we prioritized public safety, affordability in housing, and creating a better future for our kids.
The majority party, by contrast, failed to address the reality of our crime and drug crises, which put our communities at risk. We worked hard to bring common sense back into public safety. We supported law enforcement and encouraged the prosecution and punishment of criminals. We also fought hard for an affordable Washington. The majority party’s overregulation has led to increased costs on everything from home prices to rent, energy, and gasoline. Washington has become too unaffordable for many.
Our state government has let down Washington’s youth and our kids deserve better. We fought for a comprehensive approach across multiple policy areas, and we believe parents must be included in the solutions. We stayed focused on the kitchen-table issues that matter to you, and we’re happy to report that we made progress on improving rules around law enforcement’s ability to pursue criminals, combating the drug abuse crisis, and making housing more affordable.
I discuss these issues and others in this newsletter.
With all the problems facing our state, we will need the input and common sense of folks in the Tri-Cities area. During the interim, please feel free to contact our offices with your questions, ideas, and solutions. It’s an honor to serve.
Great accomplishments for the Mighty 8th District
As a first-term senator, I am excited about how much we accomplished for the people of Washington and the Mighty 8th District during the 2024 legislative session.
As the Republican leader on the Human Services Committee, I am steadfast in my efforts on behalf of our developmental disability families, protecting our children, and fighting for victims’ rights.
State legislature passes operating and transportation budgets
The final supplemental operating budget appropriates $72 billion (NGF-O), a $2.2 billion increase over current 2023-25 spending. While the budget pays for many important core services, it once again contains no meaningful tax relief for working families. The state has a moral imperative to provide tax relief.
The budget also fails to provide resources to address some of our state’s most serious problems, such as the fentanyl epidemic.
Defensive wins for the Senate and House Republicans
As a minority party member, many of our accomplishments are not about bills we passed but about bad bills we prevented from becoming law.
This session, Senate Bill 5770 would have allowed local governments to more than double property taxes – from 1% to 3%. Without direct voter input, this would have been the largest tax increase in state history.
Attacks on energy affordability
A pair of bills that will make energy more expensive in Washington were signed into law. House Bill 1589 allows Puget Sound Energy to end natural gas services for its customers.
While this will directly affect our neighbors to the west, it represents a concerning trend toward eliminating an important fuel source that people use to cook their food and stay warm in the winter. Access to affordable, reliable energy is critical for our economic growth and prosperity. Shutting down natural gas will make Washington vulnerable to energy shortages and rationing, similar to what we see in California.
Capital budget highlights and local projects
The final supplemental capital budget allocates $1.33 billion, including $130.6 million in bonds. The plan entails significant investments throughout the state in K-12 school construction, behavioral health and substance abuse treatment facilities, and early learning facilities, leaving $547,000 in remaining bond capacity.
Citizen Initiatives
During the 2024 session, Washingtonians brought six initiatives before the Legislature, all aimed at tackling important issues. We are happy to report that the people of Washington scored a big win with approval of three of these initiatives.