By Jim Hedrick, GSI WA State Lobbyist and Spokane Regional Advocate
As the iconic campus cherry blossoms bloom and the deadline for bills to be voted out of fiscal committees approaches on Tuesday, April 8, the Washington State Legislature is entering the final stretch of the 2025 regular session. This marks a crucial phase in the legislative process, where lawmakers race against time to advance their proposals before critical cutoff dates.
Following the April 8 deadline, legislators will shift their focus to intense floor debates and caucus discussions, working long hours to negotiate and pass bills before the opposite house floor cutoff on Wednesday, April 16. As the session winds down, the stakes are high, with advocates, stakeholders, and policymakers watching the fate of key measures that may either advance or pause until the next session.
Revenue Bills in Fiscal Committees
This week, the Senate Ways & Means Committee and the House Finance Committee held hearings on a series of revenue bills introduced by the majority Democrats. These proposals sparked an extraordinary level of public interest, drawing a record-breaking number of sign-ins from individuals and organizations eager to voice their opinions. The overwhelming engagement underscored the heightened work of business and advocacy groups on both sides of tax policy this year.
In the Ways & Means Committee, SB 5798, a bill addressing property taxes, attracted an astonishing 45,174 sign-ins—an unprecedented level of participation in state history. In comparison, SB 5797, which deals with the taxation of intangible assets, saw 14,079 sign-ins, while SB 5796, concerning payroll expense taxes, received 13,463 sign-ins. The sheer volume of responses made even these remarkable figures appear modest. By way of context, it is absolutely within the realm of normal to have a mere dozen or fewer sign-ins on a lower-profile bill.
Local Elected Officials Weigh In
Two opposing coalitions of Washington mayors and local elected officials are pressing lawmakers to either support or reject the proposed revenue bills.
Last week, 68 elected officials signed an open letter urging legislators to pass the measures. Among the signatories were Olympia City Council Member Clark Gilman, Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello, Council Member Jani Hitchen, four Tacoma City Council members, and four Thurston County commissioners. Their letter argues that despite Washington’s growing population, the state is not generating enough revenue to support essential investments in housing, human services, infrastructure, and public safety. The officials emphasized that Washington’s tax code has remained largely unchanged for over a century and called for both short- and long-term updates to ensure sustainable funding. Their message concluded with a call to increase taxes on the wealthiest individuals and profitable corporations, stating that those who have benefited most from Washington’s economic success should contribute more.
Opponents, however, are urging legislators to reject new taxes on businesses, warning that proposals such as a payroll excise tax and higher business and occupation (B&O) taxes on large companies could harm the state’s economy. At a March 28 press conference, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus cautioned that these measures could make Washington less competitive, discourage job growth, and potentially drive businesses out of the state, leading to negative effects on small businesses as well. Other mayors, including those from Federal Way, Renton, and Kirkland, signed a letter urging lawmakers to oppose the proposals.
Governor Bob Ferguson’s Stance on Budgets
At a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Bob Ferguson outlined five key conditions that any budget must meet for him to sign it. Rejecting the budgets proposed by majority legislative Democrats, he stressed the following requirements:
1. The Rainy Day Fund (Budget Stabilization Account) must remain untouched. While the Senate’s proposal draws from these reserves, the House’s version does not.
2. The budget must be based on realistic revenue projections, rather than the legally permitted 4.5% projection. Ferguson supports the Senate’s approach in this regard.
3. New spending should be minimal due to current fiscal constraints. “This is not the time for major investments in any program, no matter how worthwhile,” he cautioned.
4. The budget must include significant savings and efficiencies – amounting to billions, while preserving essential services like K-12 education and public safety.
5. It cannot rely on revenue sources that may face legal challenges and risk being overturned in court.
Ferguson’s firm stance will be a challenge for lawmakers, some of whom have said they will not vote for a budget with cuts, as they work behind closed doors toward a final budget agreement by the end of session.
Opposite House Policy Committee Cutoff
This past Wednesday marked the deadline for bills to advance out of policy committees in the opposite chamber. Any legislation that failed to meet this deadline is unlikely to move forward in the legislative process this session, pending extraordinary efforts by legislators to resurrect. While nearly anything is technically possible until the gavel drops on Sine Die, this milestone is a crucial step in the legislative timeline, as it determines which bills continue to be debated on the floor or in fiscal committees next week before potentially becoming law. Below is a sampling of the 485 bills that are advancing by category:
Education
HB 1351 – Aligns eligibility for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) with agency rules, allowing certain three-year-olds to enroll based on space and funding availability.
HB 1486 – Adds a student member to the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
SB 5263 – Increases special education funding, removes the 16% enrollment cap, revises safety net thresholds, and directs the development of an online system for individualized education programs.
Consumer Protection
HB 1080 – Requires hotels and short-term rentals to disclose all fees upfront, excluding government-imposed taxes and assessments. Applies to public advertisements originating from or targeting the state. Violations may result in fines up to $10,000 per instance, with a reduced penalty of up to $1,000 for owners of three or fewer short-term rentals.
Public Safety
HB 1163 – Requires a permit to purchase firearms and establishes application, issuance, and revocation procedures. Sets firearm safety training standards and concealed pistol license requirements. Specifies conditions for delaying firearm transfers and mandates recordkeeping and reporting on firearm permits and licenses.
HB 1321 – Prohibits military forces from other states, territories, or districts from operating in Washington without Presidential authorization or the Governor’s approval.
HB 1815 – Juveniles at Green Hill will receive infractions instead of felonies for fighting.
SB 5098 – Prohibits weapons in certain parks, public buildings, and county fairs where children are likely present, with exceptions. Requires signage at public access points indicating weapon restrictions and expands exceptions to area-based firearm bans.
SB 5101 – Expands Domestic Violence Leave Act protections to employees and family members affected by hate crimes.
SB 5356 – Enhances training for peace officers, investigators, and prosecutors on responding to sexual and gender-based violence, including Title IX-related investigations.
Children
SB 5509 – Requires childcare centers to be outright permitted in all zones except industrial zones and conditionally permitted in industrial areas, except near high-hazard facilities.
Health Care
HB 1203 / SB 5183 – Bans the sale, display, and advertisement of flavored tobacco, nicotine, and vapor products. Requires a prevention campaign, enforcement measures, and penalties, with provisions for tribal consultation.
HB 1232 – Expands the definition of private detention facilities and updates operational standards. Grants the Department of Health authority to inspect these facilities and enforce compliance when necessary.
HB 1430 – Mandates equal reimbursement rates for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs) as physicians when providing primary care and behavioral health services.
Housing
HB 1217 – Limits rent increases to 7% for most tenants and 5% for manufactured home tenants per year, with exemptions. Prohibits rent increases in the first 12 months of tenancy. Sets restrictions on move-in fees, security deposits, and late fees. Establishes enforcement mechanisms and requires a housing market study within ten years.
Employer – Labor
HB 1141 – Establishes collective bargaining procedures for cannabis agricultural workers under the jurisdiction of the Public Employment Relations Commission.
HB 1264 – Directs the Office of Financial Management to conduct a salary survey for collective bargaining negotiations involving specific work groups at Washington State Ferries.
HB 1622 – Requires public employers to negotiate with workers over the adoption or modification of artificial intelligence technology that impacts wages or performance evaluations.
SB 5041 – Allows workers unemployed due to a labor strike to receive up to 12 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits, starting in 2026. Ends disqualification for employer-initiated lockouts in multi-employer bargaining units during the same period.
SB 5104 – Prohibits employers from threatening employees or their families regarding immigration status to deter them from exercising labor rights.
Environment
HB 1607 – Requires beverage brands to create a producer responsibility organization to fund and implement a 10-cent container deposit refund program.
SB 5284 – Requires producers of certain paper and packaging products to fund and participate in a producer responsibility program for recycling and waste management.
SB 5360 – Establishes new crimes, penalties, and exceptions for violations of environmental laws, including the Water Pollution Control Act, Clean Air Act, and Hazardous Waste Management Act. Classifies certain offenses as first- and second-degree felonies.
Transportation
HB 1875 – Allows employees and transportation network drivers to use paid sick leave for immigration-related legal proceedings. Requires employers and transportation companies to accept documentation for verification.
Capital Budget Project Update-Spokane
Click here for a comprehensive breakdown of the current funding statuses for capital projects in Spokane, as outlined in the proposed House and Senate budgets.
The Week Ahead
The House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means Committee will work this Saturday on bills referred to those committees from policy committees. The second committee phase of the session is about concluded as the fiscal committee cutoff is next Tuesday, April 8. You can expect the House Capital Budget Committee and the Senate Ways & Means Committee to take action on the capital budgets this week as full-title floor action starts Wednesday on bills from the opposite house up until the floor cutoff on April 16.
About the Author
Jim Hedrick is GSI’s State Lobbyist and Owner of H2 Government Relations. Jim has advocated on behalf of our community for more than 20 years and has 25 years of experience in the Washington State legislative and public policy venue as a fiscal analyst, legislative advocate, and political advisor to the Governor, state agency directors, and legislative officials.
About this Blog
As part of GSI’s year-round work with our community to advance policies that support the success of local businesses, we’re active in Washington State’s current legislative session – tracking bills, advocating on behalf of our community, planning our annual trip to Olympia, communicating our State Agenda, and working with our lobbyist, our Regional Advocacy Committee, and our elected officials, to advance priorities that support local businesses and enhance our community. Learn more about what we do to create a greater voice for the future of our region and view this year’s State Agenda.
