Happy New Year! We are back and ready to keep you updated on the ins-and-outs of this year’s legislative session. The official start of the 2026 Washington State Legislative session is Monday, January 12th. Washington State’s legislative cycles are two years in length and within that cycle there are two types of sessions: regular and short. 2026 will be a short session, lasting roughly 60 days, as opposed to the 2025 session that lasted 105 days. With shorter sessions, it helps to keep in mind that bills introduced in year one of a legislative cycle remain alive and carryover into year two of that legislative cycle. That being said, be prepared for new discussion around bills that were introduced last session.
In shorter sessions, the legislature’s main focus is to pass the current biennium’s supplemental capital, operational, and transportation budgets. Simone Carter’s article, in The Olympian, explains this system well. “In Washington State, biennial budgets are adopted during 105-day legislative sessions in odd-numbered years, and updates are made to those budgets through supplemental budgets, which are typically produced every year and help fix certain shifts, such as changes in expected revenue or school enrollment.”
Governor Bob Ferguson released his proposed supplemental budgets at the end of December. His spending plan makes adjustments to the two-year budget Ferguson signed in May and that took effect July 1. Unfortunately, his budget “halts a planned increase in per-pupil funding for school districts that struggle to raise money from local levies due to lower property values. And he proposes capping signups for the Working Connections child care program and removing 1,816 slots for the Transition to Kindergarten program starting in the 2026-27 school year;” as reported in the Washington State Standard.
These cuts to public education drew fire from the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Chris Reykdol. Reykdol said, “I reject the notion that in Washington, a state that is so deeply committed to opportunity, our only choice is to cut public services because fair taxation isn’t possible.” Read his full statement here.
Washington lawmakers begin pre-filing bills at the beginning of December, however, expect a slew of bills to hit next Monday for the start of the session. Legislators are also preparing for the possibility that two controversial initiatives may come before them over the next coming months. IL26-001, if enacted, would repeal changes that legislators made last year to an earlier Let’s Go Washington initiative that codified rights for parents of public school children. The other initiative, IL26-638, seeks to block transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports. According to the Washington State Standard, “Both measures are initiatives to the Legislature, meaning they would go before lawmakers for consideration in the session that begins Jan. 12. The secretary of state’s office will now verify the submitted signatures to confirm the initiatives can move forward.”
Odds and Ends
Is a four day school week the answer to district attendance woes? From the Washington State Standard, “4-Day School Weeks are Growing in Popularity, Despite the Lack of Data on the Effects.”
“Washington is leaning into using AI in the classroom. The goal: to embrace the inevitable…” from The Olympian, WA Education Leaders are all-in on Using AI in the Classroom. Why?
Meet CSTP’s Legislative Update Coordinator Samantha Miller
Samantha Miller returns as CSTP’s Legislative Updates Coordinator for the 2026 legislative session. She writes weekly emails during the legislative session focusing on bills that impact Washington educators.
Samantha has degrees in both Political Science and History, as well as a Master in Teaching. Samantha has worked in Elementary Education for 8 years, most recently as a 3rd Grade general education teacher. The majority of her time is spent chasing around her two children who keep her very busy. Samantha enjoys running, working in her yard, listening to political podcasts, and spending time with her family.