Long sessions are just that… long. As of this writing, 10 days remain in the 2025 legislative session. Cut-offs have come and gone, and we are now in the final stretch. So, what’s not left to do, rather than what is?

 

The Elephant in the Room

In short, Washington faces a daunting revenue deficit of $15–$16 billion over the next four years. Legislators have one constitutional duty during odd numbered years: to pass a budget for the state’s operations over the two-year cycle. Everything else is “fluff,” so to speak.

 

That’s not to say policy doesn’t matter – it does. But without the revenue to run government operations, there will be no new programs. And in this cycle, we could see significant cuts to essential services.

 

Revenue bills were not subject to the April 16 cut-off because they are considered NTIB – “necessary to implement the budget.” Over the next 10 days, both chambers will hear and vote on a package of bills aimed at easing the budget shortfall. The final mix of cuts and new revenue that both the House and Senate can agree on – and that Governor Ferguson will sign – is still uncertain.

 

Governor Ferguson first ruled out a wealth tax, and with business lobbying hard against a payroll tax, House and Senate budget leaders went back to the drawing board and cobbled together a new set of taxes. As of this writing, the governor finds that plan “too risky.” He didn’t rule out all progressive revenue options, but finding enough revenue to offset the deepest cuts remains a daunting task. As of April 18, a resolution has yet to emerge, so ending on time April 27 is not a slam-dunk.

 

The 2025 Washington State legislative session has unfolded in a bleak national context. The federal landscape is in disarray, and we are only four months into this administration. I won’t rehash the endless stream of “terribles.” We are all acutely aware of the federal government’s ongoing assaults on people, the environment, and the rule of law.

 

Our state leaders don’t have a crystal ball. Whatever budget they finalize in these closing days won’t fully capture the effects of the broader federal economic and social turmoil – on-again, off-again tariffs; mass layoffs; and more. And then there are the looming Medicaid cuts. In Washington State, 1.8 million residents rely on Medicaid for health care– ourselves, our families, our neighbors. In fiscal year 2023, the state received $12.5 billion in federal Medicaid funding. If that funding disappears, the state cannot close the gap. The suffering will be immense.

This is not a rosy picture. We are organizing now to advocate with our federal congressional delegation to stop these cuts. If they go through, the state legislature may have to reconvene in a special session to address the budget crisis.

 

Some Wins

Despite the tough climate, we’ve made good progress on our legislative priorities. Our April midway report outlined the bills still alive – and a few that didn’t make it.

A high priority was SJM 8002, Protecting Medicare by Leveling the Playing Field. It did not make It out of the second house by cut-off April 16, but will be reintroduced, hopefully, in 2026. It goes back to the Senate where it must be passed again.

The following PSARA priority bills passed both houses and are big wins:

 

1.                  SJM 8004 – Supporting efforts to advance Universal Healthcare

2.                  SB 5291 – Strengthening and protecting WA Cares

3.                  HB 1491 – Creating affordable housing near transit

4.                  HB 1213 – Extending job protection in the Family & Medical Leave program

5.                  SB 5041 – Extending unemployment benefits to striking workers

6.                  SB 5284 – Reducing plastic waste through better solid waste management

 

SJM 8004 bypasses the Governor’s Office and is transmitted directly to Congress, the President, and the Secre- taries of Labor and Health and Human Services. The other bills are headed to Governor Ferguson. He can sign them, veto them, or let them pass into law without a signature. Depending on when the bills land on his desk, he has either 5 or 20 days to act. Note: He has section veto power on these bills, un- like the line-item veto he holds for the budget.

 

HB 1217, the rent stabilization bill, is still in limbo as of this writing. Originally a House bill, it was significantly weakened in the Senate. The House is expected to reject those amendments, sending the bill to a conference committee. The conference committee, made up of Senators and Representatives, will hash out a compromise for an up or down vote by the two chambers. We are hoping for a strong bill that keeps renters housed by stabilizing rent increases.