Dear Friend,
Did you hear the good news?! Washington State Governor Ferguson signed the Millionaires Tax into law last week! And now that it’s Spring Break week across Washington State, we’re reflecting on the massive victories for families (including what the Governor just signed!) that you helped make possible during the 2026 legislative session.
We proved that when moms and parents speak, the legislature listens.
The Millionaires Tax will make our state’s tax code more equitable and will fund essential services our families need to thrive for generations to come, like free school lunch for all kids, child care, health care, public education, and even tax-free diapers. But that isn’t all—we have even more victories to celebrate!
We started the session facing $340 million in proposed cuts to child care, but thanks to our collective advocacy, we stopped HALF of those bad cuts from going through during a legislative session with a lot of very difficult state budget decisions. [1] Take a moment to celebrate this victory with us!
Tell WA Lawmakers: PFML deserves a strong future!
While we celebrate our wins, it’s important that we sustain our momentum and look ahead to protecting one of our greatest achievements: Washington State’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program (PFML).
Nearly ten years ago, we fought to pass this policy. Today, more Washingtonians than ever are using it to recover from surgery, bond with new babies, or care for loved ones—270,000 Washingtonians used the program last year alone! The demand is real and the impact is life-changing.
MomsRising member, Isabelle, in Spokane can attest to this first-hand:
I don’t know what we would have done without our state’s paid leave program when I had my youngest. When I was pregnant with her, I got COVID and was really sick. It was terrifying. Thankfully, I was able to take several weeks of paid medical leave. I was also able to take paid parental leave to recover from birth.
Today, I’m back in the workforce, and I’m able to succeed in my role as a nurse because I had that time to recover, bond, and keep myself and my baby healthy. Fortunately, my medical certification process for the PFML application was quick and easy.
Washingtonians love our PFML program so much that it’s created a bit of a ‘good problem’ to have. Our PFML program is so popular that it needs a boost in revenue to keep up with the demand. Claims have doubled in just four years—-because the program is meeting a very real need to care for ourselves or others during major life events—and this heartening success means the program is on track to run out of money by 2030. [2]
Unfortunately, we have already seen proposals from some lawmakers to cut benefits instead of providing the necessary funding for the program to continue its much-needed track record. Since when is supporting ‘too many’ families a bad thing? As moms and caregivers, we know that cuts would harm families already struggling to afford the basics—and even families that are financially stable right now but might not be able to afford unpaid time away from work for cancer treatment or pregnancy complications.
We won’t allow our beloved paid family and medical leave program to be cut and are going to reject any attempts to take these hard-won benefits away from Washingtonians! That’s why we hope you’ll join us in taking action early and often to protect PFML. We need to tell the legislature that cutting benefits is the wrong path. Instead, we need to shore up this essential program for the long haul by taxing wealth fairly and generating much-needed revenue for our state programs.
We cannot go backwards. After nearly ten years of this program providing a lifeline to working families across Washington, we must shore it up for a strong future. Let’s ensure it stays strong by demanding sustainable revenue, not benefit cuts.
We’ve already seen what we can accomplish when we stand together. We moved the needle on the Millionaires Tax (all the way to the finish line!) and saved millions in child care funding this session. Now, let’s bring that same energy to protecting the leave that allows us to be there for our families and our health when it matters most.
Thank you for speaking out and for everything you do.
With hope and solidarity,
– Lauren, Sara, Olivia, Maricela, and everyone at MomsRising
References:
[1] Child care advocates sound alarm about proposed budget cuts | The Olympian
[2] Loving paid leave to death | The Washington Observer
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