Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Leonard Christian’s subscribers March 21, 2025. To subscribe to Sen. Christian’s e-newsletters, click here.
Thanks to everyone who attended our town hall meeting in Spokane Valley last Saturday!
We had a great turnout and we heard many good questions about the progress of our 2025 legislative session. Let me express a special thanks to Pastor Gary Hebden, who led the invocation, and Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels, who offered an introduction.
An hour seemed hardly enough time to cover all the issues that have surfaced in the Legislature this year. At the Capitol we are fighting a defensive battle against proposals that would weaken public safety, drive up the cost of living, erode parental rights and give government greater control over our lives. Our biggest fight is just beginning, over the multi-billion-dollar shortfall we face this year and the wild spending that got us to this point. Believe it or not, in Olympia the big question is how much we ought to raise taxes so that the Legislature can keep right on making the same mistakes.
That’s why it’s so refreshing to come home in the middle of a legislative session and speak with people who live in the real world. I didn’t hear anyone say they like the direction Olympia is heading. I’m with you on that. Meeting with the people of the 4th District is a reminder that common sense is much more common once you cross the mountains that divide our state.
State deficit grows to $7B as majority plans biggest tax hike in state history
Senate Democrats propose $17.5B tax increase, allowing unbridled spending to continue
This chart shows the spending trend in the Washington Legislature – up, up and away! Our majority counterparts have doubled state spending over the last 10 years. They’ve spent money we don’t have, raided our reserves, and used one-time money to create permanent spending obligations. No wonder we face a $7 billion shortfall this session. But wait – it gets worse.
Our colleagues announced Thursday they want to deal with this problem by raising taxes about $17.5 billion over four years. Their proposal is actually a bit higher than that, because it gives local governments new authority to raise property taxes. You might wonder why they want to put an extra $10 billion in state coffers. It’s because they want to keep right on spending like it’s 2019.
They wouldn’t have to trim expenses, set priorities, or ask themselves whether it is a good idea to keep spending like drunken sailors. An extra $10 billion would allow them to enact big new expansions of state programs we can’t afford, give state employees a whopping pay raise, and ignore the fact that we already are in a financial emergency brought on by their irresponsible spending.
Welcome to this year’s budget debate. Last week I said the main event of this year’s legislative session starts now and runs through the end of our session on April 27. But I don’t think anyone was expecting our majority-party colleagues to kick it off with a worse proposal than former Gov. Jay Inslee. His parting gift to the state, just before he left office, was a proposal for a $13 billion tax hike that left many of us gasping. When Senate Democrats rolled out their tax proposal, they managed to top him by $4.5 billion. Will next week’s proposal from the House be even bigger?
New forecast hints at recession
This tax proposal was the second major development on the budget this week. On Tuesday, state economists released a new forecast of tax revenue. It shows we can expect $4.5 billion more than we collected over the last two years. That’s a 6.8 percent increase, better than most of us will see in our own paychecks. The problem is that it would take another $7 billion to meet all the spending obligations our colleagues enacted in prior years, and more than that to fulfill their entire wish-list. What was especially disturbing about this new forecast is that it was $845 million less than the last one, in November.
We should take this as a warning – a recession is on the horizon. And if things look bad now, just imagine the mess we will be in if we raid our Rainy Day Fund and increase the bloat in our budget — and then the economy tanks.
And the kicker is that none of this is necessary. Last week the Senate Republican Caucus released a proposal of our own showing we can balance the budget without painful cuts. All we need to do is enact sensible efficiencies and avoid new non-emergency spending. It really is that simple.
Big debates to round out our session
This has been a year of highly partisan legislation, and we can expect a number of major floor fights in coming weeks. Here’s a look at some of the worst bills the Legislature will be debating between now and adjournment – and trust me, there are many more where these came from.
Senate Bill 5041 – Providing unemployment benefits to striking workers — also known as the “Bye-Bye Business Bill.” Would give unionized workers incentive to strike and remain off the job longer, undoing the current balance in collective bargaining disputes. This legislation would drive up unemployment insurance premiums for employers and impose additional costs, and it would be a death-knell for manufacturing in Washington state. Passed Senate 28-21. Now in House.
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House Bill 1217 — Implementing statewide rent control. Would limit rent increases and impose lengthy notice requirements on landlords. This misguided legislation fails to address the real reason for fast-rising rents – a shortage of housing. By limiting returns for landlords and investors, this bill would ensure the problem will get worse – as has been seen everywhere else rent control has been tried. Passed House 53-42. Now in Senate.
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Senate Bill 5098 — Prohibiting the possession of weapons in state and local public buildings, parks or playground facilities where children are likely to be present, and county fairs or county fair facilities. Would impose confusing requirements, expose law-abiding gun owners to prosecution — yet do nothing for public safety. Passed Senate 28-21. Now in House.
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House Bill 1163 – Imposing new requirements for gun purchases and transfers. Another of this year’s infringements on Second Amendment rights. Requirements include completion of gun-safety training courses before issuance of a permit allowing the purchase of a firearm. Because it imposes a condition on a constitutional right, this bill likely would be overturned by courts. Passed House 58-38 (party-line vote). Now in Senate.
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Senate Bill 5123 – Forcing transgender ideology on public schools. In the name of “anti-discrimination,” this bill uses our public schools to make a political statement and perhaps forces a showdown with the feds on the girls’ sports issue. The bill expands state law banning discrimination in the public schools to encompass new “protected classes,” and is aimed in large part at forcing public schools to embrace transgender participation in girls’ sports. The bill jeopardizes federal funding, forces schools to emphasize political ideology over academics, and further weakens public support for our public education system. Passed the Senate 30-19 (party-line vote). Now in House.
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Senate Bill 5179 – Allowing OSPI to go after school district officials and school board members who don’t comply with state mandates. This bill allows the state to force compliance with ideological mandates widely opposed in many regions of the state. The bill is likely to be abused for political purposes, and big legal bills are another likely result, paid for by taxpayers. Passed Senate 30-19 (party-line vote). Now in House.
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In the news:
Ex-con who touted prison rehabilitation is arrested on 11 felony counts
This story from The Herald in Everett is definitely worth a read. Ex-con Percy Levy was granted clemency by former Gov. Jay Inslee in 2019 and became a leading advocate for prison rehabilitation. Last week he was arrested in Snohomish County on 11 felony charges. Police say he had over half a kilogram of fentanyl in his possession, enough to kill one-third of Snohomish County. Sounds like our friends will need to find a new spokesman for their efforts to open jail doors and let felons out early. (You can’t make this stuff up.)
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
Leave a message on the Legislative Hotline: 1 (800) 562-6000