Note: The following e-newsletter was sent to Sen. Leonard Christian’s subscribers Jan. 9, 2026. To subscribe to Sen. Christian’s e-newsletters, click here.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Last year’s Legislature passed the biggest tax increase in state history, a whopping $14 billion when everything is counted. But if you think things couldn’t get any worse, get ready for 2026.
We return to Olympia Monday for a 60-day session, and this time we’re going to be debating the mother of all taxes – a state income tax.
And that’s not all. Also before us this year will be legislation allowing steep annual increases in property taxes. We’ve got proposals for taxes on jobs and taxes on investments. And there are plenty more bad ideas where these come from.
Let me mention one bill, introduced just a few days ago. In case the people have any inclination to fight back, Senate Bill 5973 would make it harder to place initiatives on the ballot, by banning signature gatherers from being paid for each signature they collect.
What’s happening this year is the culmination of nine years of one-party control of the Legislature. After skirmishes the last few sessions on issues like public safety and parental rights, an emboldened “progressive” majority has finally decided this is the year to run the table. In this next session we will see the final act of a multi-year effort to force an income tax on the people of the state of Washington. Never mind the fact that the voters of this state have voted against an income tax 11 times since 1934. This time our colleagues aren’t going to be asking for anyone’s permission.
Around the Capitol, we’ve known this day was coming for a long, long time. And of course I will be working with my team to defeat proposals like these that dig deeper into our pockets, make it harder for us to get by and reduce the accountability of state agencies and public officials. For Republicans these are core issues.
Unfortunately, our colleagues have the votes. They don’t care much what we think. Our best hope lies with you, the people of Washington.
What you can do
Over the last few years, we’ve managed to derail a number of terrible proposals by shining a light on them and letting the people do the rest. When our colleagues tried passing their bill last year to allow property taxes to increase three times faster, legislative offices were deluged with phone calls and emails. Even better, 43,680 people signed in to the Legislature’s computer system to register their opposition, an all-time record.
So what happened? Our colleagues decided to raise other taxes instead. That’s the power of public opinion.
That same property-tax proposal is back this year, and once again it will take all of us to defeat it. If you don’t want the state taking a big bite out of your paycheck, you’ll want to speak up about the income tax as well. Over the next 60 days I’m sure there will be issues we can’t even imagine at this point. The other team deserves to hear your opinion, again and again and again — and the louder you speak, the better.
So now, more than ever, it is important for you to keep watch on what happens in Olympia. I’ll do my best to keep you up-to-date with these weekly e-newsletters, and I’ll let you know when your help is needed. By working together, we may be able to move the needle. Stay tuned!
Just in time for Somali daycare scandal, legislation would reduce public scrutiny of troubled state agency
Countermeasure highlights attempt to weaken oversight of Department of Children, Youth and Families
The Center Square looked into the daycare issue in Washington state and made some curious findings. Click here to see video.
Timing is everything and this may be one of the strangest political coincidences of all time. Somehow, just a few days before the story broke about widespread fraud by Somali daycare operators in Minnesota, my Democratic colleagues in Olympia introduced legislation shielding state-subsidized daycare operators from public scrutiny.
I can’t say that was the goal. But it is definitely the effect of two bills filed during Christmas week for consideration during the upcoming session.
What makes this especially interesting is that the Minnesota scandal is one of the hottest stories in the nation at the moment. State officials turned a blind eye as fraudsters siphoned millions in taxpayer funds. Local news media outlets across the country are checking to see if they have the same problems in their states, and it appears some do – maybe even Washington. News investigations have revealed mighty curious indications of possible daycare fraud in the central Puget Sound area. Yet Democratic leaders in this state are saying we should move along, there’s nothing to see here, and any attempt to probe further is racist.
Given that context, these two bills certainly warrant our concern. Senate Bill 5926, introduced by Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, would exempt state-subsidized daycares from certain public records requirements, making it more difficult for the public to trace daycare ownership and other issues. Senate Bill 5942, introduced by Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Federal Way, would change the name of the DCYF Oversight Board to the DCYF Accountability Board – and at the same time, eliminate its oversight duties over this troubled state agency.
I should note that the Wellman bill was introduced on Dec. 22 and the Wilson bill was dropped Dec. 26. Meanwhile, the Somali fraud story broke on Dec. 26, and it wasn’t until last week we started hearing about it here. So we can’t make a direct connection. But as the lead Republican member on the Senate Human Services Committee, let me say we shouldn’t pass laws that make it harder to get at the truth.
Meanwhile, I am making a protest of my own. I’ve introduced my own bill to rename the DCYF Oversight Board, Senate Bill 6020. If we’re going to eliminate this board’s oversight responsibilities and turn it into something toothless, I think we should be honest about its purpose. My proposal is that we call it the “DCYF Social Club.”
Other bills
I want to mention briefly a few other bills I have pre-filed for the session:
- Senate Bill 6021 launches a pilot program requiring corrections officers at Green Hill School to undergo body scanning when they enter the facility. The sad truth is that guards are responsible for many of the drug-smuggling and contraband issues we see at our state’s lockup for the worst juvenile offenders. Mandatory scanning would help keep everyone on the straight and narrow.
- Senate Bill 6022 would repeal our state’s “JR to 25” policy, which retains older juvenile offenders in our juvenile system until age 25. This has caused severe overcrowding and has driven costs up. Housing an adult offender in our prison system costs $60,000 annually, while we spend $260,000 annually for each offender in the juvenile system.
- Senate Bill 6023 requires that children be removed from their families when parental drug usage makes it unsafe for social workers to enter their residences.
Page program offers opportunity for teens
Limited slots available for 2026 session – apply now
We’re looking for a few good teen-agers. My office has limited slots available for students age 14 to 16 who are interested in paging in the Senate this session. The Senate Page Program gives our youth a chance to see the Legislature in action. Pages spend a week in Olympia, working in the Senate chamber during floor session and performing other tasks around the statehouse. The 2026 program operates from January to March when the Legislature is in session. More information is available at this link.
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