WA’s 2026 legislative session is getting underway. Will anyone be smiling when it’s over?

By: Jerry Cornfield, Bill Lucia

Outlets: Washington State Standard

Published: January 12, 2026

Words: 1,058

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 5 days ago

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Washington state lawmakers begin a 60-day session today, in which a fiscal reckoning, flood recovery, and their own reelections loom large.

They departed Olympia last spring, fingers crossed that a colossus of budget problems had been defeated with a one-two punch of spending cuts and new taxes. It was not.

Adding to the difficulties: massive changes foisted upon states in the federal law dubbed “beautiful” by its Republican sponsors and “ugly” by its …

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