Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Leonard Christian’s subscribers Jan. 16, 2026. To subscribe to Sen. Christian’s e-newsletters, click here.

Testifying Wednesday before the Senate K-12 Education and Early Learning Committee on Senate Bill 5901, assuring equitable school-construction funding for the Medical Lake School District, which operates Blair Elementary School on Fairchild Air Force Base.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We’ve just launched our 2026 legislative session, and already it seems like we’re going at lightspeed. Legislative Democrats are touting their plan for a new income tax. A proposal that would give Olympia control over county sheriffs is raising alarm. And an issue near and dear to me – mismanagement at the Department of Children, Youth and Families – is generating plenty of heat.

In an even-numbered year like this one, we have just 60 days to finish our business and adjourn. That may be good news for Washington taxpayers. Given some of the proposals we’ve been hearing this year, the sooner the clock runs out on Olympia, the better.

Here’s a rundown on the big issues this first week:

Income tax campaign is launched

As Gov. Bob Ferguson touted his so-called “millionaires’ tax” Tuesday – an income tax by another name – there was enthusiastic applause from the Democratic side of the aisle, silence from Republicans.

Years of setup, strategy and subterfuge are coming to a head this year as the majority party finally launches a formal effort to pass an income tax. This epic battle has been more than 90 years in the making, and the one good thing about it is that our colleagues are no longer pretending they oppose an income tax. As recently as two years ago they voted for an initiative from the people banning an income tax. This served mainly to keep I-2111 off the ballot and prevented Washington voters from saying no to an income tax for an 12th time. The Senate Democratic leader now is freely acknowledging that the vote meant nothing, telling one interviewer it was a “pie-crust promise, easily made, easily broken.”

True enough. Lest anyone think honesty has broken out in Olympia, however, you should have seen Gov. Bob Ferguson’s State of the State address on Tuesday. Not one mention of an income tax. Instead he kept on talking about something he wants to call a “millionaires’ tax.” It’s the same thing, of course, but it sounds better that way.

I should explain, because I know some readers had questions when I raised the issue in last week’s e-newsletter. Our colleagues haven’t introduced their legislation, but they are telling us their income tax proposal will be limited to people making $1 million or more each year. That’s why they’re calling it a “millionaires’ tax.” That phraseology is every bit as meaningless as that vote against an income tax two years ago.

If a law says a tax applies only to millionaires, nothing stops the Legislature from changing the law. And of course that’s what would happen. It’s happened every time an income tax has been passed in this country, on the state and federal levels. They are sold as taxes on the rich, and within a few years the threshold is reduced until these taxes hit people like you and me. After all, the middle class is where the money is. An income tax on anyone becomes an income tax on everyone. And promises like these are as flaky as piecrust.

Bill would give Olympia the final say over county sheriffs

Sign-ins at the Jan. 15 hearing demonstrate overwhelming public support for elected county sheriffs.

A spirited argument broke out this week as our colleagues pushed a bill that would give politicians in Olympia ultimate control over elected county sheriffs. Senate Bill 5974 would create new requirements for police chiefs and sheriffs. More importantly, it would give an unelected state board the power to remove sheriffs from office if it doesn’t like the way they enforce the law.

Elected sheriffs across the state who don’t toe Olympia’s line are under fire. In Adams County, the state is suing a sheriff who dared to cooperate with federal immigration officials. Other sheriffs taking an independent view of Olympia’s efforts to intervene in policing observe they are ultimately accountable to the people who elect them.

I think we should respect the people’s decisions, and I don’t think we should give an appointed board the ability to remove elected officials it doesn’t like. Your sheriff represents you, not Olympia.

And it appears the people agree. Before the bill got a hearing in the Senate Law and Justice Committee Thursday, 12,873 people signed onto the Legislature’s website to express their opposition. Remarkable, given the fact that the hearing was announced just two days prior. Looks like the people believe in supporting their local sheriff.

 

Troubled children’s agency in the crosshairs

As Republican lead on the Senate Human Services Committee, I am disturbed by the ongoing management problems at the Department of Children, Youth and Families. What’s worse is the apparent lack of interest from many of my colleagues in doing anything about it.

As the nation becomes aware of widespread fraud in Somali-operated daycares in Minnesota, lawmakers here are trying to intimidate news organizations from conducting similar investigations in Washington state. One bill this session would conceal public records concerning state-subsidized daycares, and another would remove oversight responsibilities from an independent board charged with overseeing DCYF. You can read about my protest here.

But the problems run deeper. Last year the state paid a record $500 million to settle lawsuits, most of it due to a failure to protect children under DCYF’s care. Child deaths and severe injuries are on the rise, 200 cases since 2023. Overcrowded juvenile justice facilities have degenerated into chaos due to a new state policy keeping offenders in the juvenile system until age 25. Yet my colleagues say move along, nothing to see here.

I’ll tell you more about these issues in coming weeks. But for now, I want to say how much I appreciate the fact that news media organizations like The Center Square are keeping the heat on the Legislature, and will not allow themselves to be cowed by pressure and intimidation from elected officials. This troubled agency deserves more scrutiny, not less.

 

In the news:

SEATTLE TIMES: Stop dodging and face facts – More kids are dying on DCYF’s watch

This editorial from the Seattle Times Jan. 12 should be seen as a shot across the Legislature’s bow. How many children have to die before our legislative colleagues end their complacency? As this piece quotes me as saying, “It’s really hard to be concerned with a child’s well-being when they’re dead.”

By the Seattle Times editorial board

When record numbers of children die or suffer near-fatal injuries at the hands of their parents, alarm bells should sound. Loudly. Especially when those kids were already on the state’s radar as potentially unsafe.

That’s exactly what’s happened in Washington over the last two years. So, it behooves lawmakers to take a hard look at the Department of Children, Youth & Families, whose primary mission is keeping kids safe.

Last month, all 19 Senate Republicans signed a letter asking the Democratic leadership for such an inquiry. There is particular urgency, they noted, in light of the enormous legal settlements being paid out by DCYF for past failures.

To continue reading, click here.

Thanks for reading,

 

 

 

Leonard Christian
4th Legislative District

Contact me!

If you have a comment about state government, or a concern with a state agency, I hope you will reach out to my office. My most important duty is to serve you.

Mailing address: Post Office Box 40404, Olympia, WA 98504

Email: Leonard.Christian@leg.wa.gov

Phone: (360) 786-7606

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