By Jim Hedrick, GSI WA State Lobbyist and Spokane Regional Advocate As the 2026 legislative session races toward its March 12 adjournment deadline, lawmakers in Olympia tackled major housing, privacy, tax, budget, and policy battles this week. With Friday night marking the opposite-house floor cutoff, several high-profile proposals moved forward while others quietly faded as […]
Legislative Session Update: Week 8 (March 2-6, 2026) Read More »
By Jim Hedrick, GSI WA State Lobbyist and Spokane Regional Advocate As the 2026 legislative session enters its final weeks, budget negotiations have shifted decisively from policy aspirations to balance-sheet reality. Last Sunday’s release of House and Senate supplemental operating budgets marks the point at which fiscal assumptions, revenue risk, and long-term cost exposure move
Legislative Session Update: Week 7 (February 23-27, 2026) Read More »
STCU’s Marty Dickinson and Lindsey Myhre firmly believe that discussions between schools and businesses must happen before high school graduation, and the business community must actively help schools shape a more responsive and relevant educational system.
The Long Game: Why STCU and Spokane Are Investing in Education for Life Read More »
The Washington Roundtable, Association of Washington Business, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and Greater Spokane, Inc. issued a joint statement in response to the Washington State House and Senate proposed operating budgets.
Joint Statement from Business Leaders on House and Senate Operating Budget Proposals Read More »
By Jim Hedrick, GSI WA State Lobbyist and Spokane Regional Advocate Breathing Room The Washington State Legislature wrapped up House of Origin floor action this week, sending a wave of bills across the rotunda to opposite-chamber policy committees. Lawmakers now face a fast-moving timeline, with only until February 25 to review, debate, and advance those
Legislative Session Update: Week 6 (February 16-20, 2026) Read More »
By Jim Hedrick, GSI WA State Lobbyist and Spokane Regional Advocate No Rest for the Weary It was a whirlwind weekend in the Washington State Legislature, as fiscal committees heard testimony and voted on bills ahead of the Monday, February 9 deadline for measures to advance out of those committees. That cutoff marked a critical
Legislative Session Update: Week 5 (February 9-13, 2026) Read More »
The 2026 Olympia Fly-In, presented by MulitCare, brought together more than 70 leaders from nonprofit organizations, service providers, utilities, education institutions, and businesses across all sectors to ensure our region is consistently represented and heard in cornerstone policy conversations.
2026 Olympia Fly-In Recap Read More »
By Jim Hedrick, GSI WA State Lobbyist and Spokane Regional Advocate Got Million? The highlight of the week for those both for and against it was the long-awaited formal introduction of SB 6346 (Pedersen, D-Seattle) / HB 2724 (Fitzgibbon, D-Seattle), the “Millionaire’s Tax.” As currently drafted, the bill would impose a 9.9% state income tax
Legislative Session Update: Week 4 (February 2-6, 2026) Read More »
The Washington Roundtable, Association of Washington Business, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and Greater Spokane Inc. issued the following joint statement in response to an income tax measure introduced in the Legislature.
By Jim Hedrick, GSI WA State Lobbyist and Spokane Regional Advocate Committee Process The third week of the 2026 Washington State Legislative Session marked a transition in the legislative process, as committees began moving beyond the preliminary stage of holding public hearings on newly introduced bills. This period, known as the “executive session” phase, is
Legislative Session Update: Week 3 (January 26-30, 2026) Read More »
