Weekly Legislative Updates

What's Alive, What's Dead | Leg Update 4

WFSE Staff
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We're halfway through the 2026 Legislative Session, which is when bills begin to die. 😔

In this week's update, we'll share what's alive, what's dead, and how you can help bring bills to the finish line. See our union's priority bills and their status.

The next cutoff is February 17th. If a bill isn't voted out of the chamber it originated in (either House or Senate) by then, it's toast.  

Not a WFSE member?Join your union  in speaking up for our jobs, families and communities.


 

But first: Calls for Tax Fairness from Spokane to Olympia

On Saturday and Tuesday, WFSE members in Olympia and Spokane gathered with fellow union members and community members to call for the legislature to fix Washington State's upside-down tax code, the second-most unfair in the nation, behind only Florida.

Polling indicates that a majority of all Washingtonians, regardless of political affiliation, support a tax on millionaires (54% of Republicans, 71% of Democrats and 52% of Independents.)

Some found that surprising. Not many WFSE members.


 

We see the impact that our structural budget deficit has on the folks who depend on our work.

We know who will suffer when $4 billion in Medicaid/Apple Health is cut from our state budget next year to pay for billionaire tax cuts.

It's students, friends, neighbors, clients, patients who are paying the price — regardless of where they live and their political affiliation.


 

Something is taking root in Washington state. Working families have simply had enough of bankrolling the rich.

In 2024, Washingtonians again voiced loud and clear that they want the rich to pay more when they rejected a billionaire-backed attempt to repeal the capital gains tax, a tax that only the richest 0.2% of taxpayers pay.

64% of Washingtonians rejected I-2109, thanks in part to 21,000 calls from WFSE members :)

Take action to pass the Millionaires Tax:

Members of Interpreters United, WFSE Local 1671 at their lobby day. They successfully passed their priority bill (SB 5994) out of the Senate.

To become law, bills that have passed in the chamber in which they originated must still pass the opposite chamber and then be signed by the governor.

The AI bargaining bill and Millionaires Tax still need to be brought to the floor for a vote.

Click the bill links below and send a comment to your elected officials or give them a call. The AI bill is a heavy lift and needs all the support it can get.

Remember, if we lost a bill this short legislative session, it doesn't mean we'll stop trying. WFSE never goes away, and every day is lobby day!

WFSE PRIORITIES — PASSED OR READY FOR A VOTE

  • SB 6346 – Establishing a tax on millionaires. [Senate Rules Committee]
  • HB 1622 – Allowing bargaining over matters related to the use of artificial intelligence. [House Rules Committee]
  • HB 2091 – Requiring public employers under chapter 41.80 RCW to provide employee information to exclusive bargaining representatives. [House passed 93-1]
  • SB 5994 – Concerning language access providers’ collective bargaining. [Senate passed 44-5]
  • HB 2249 – Amending the state civil service statutes to include Washington technology services. [House passed 85-10]
  • HB 2411 – Authorizing shared leave for hate-crime victims and absences due to immigration enforcement actions affecting the employee or a relative. [House passed 60-36]

WFSE PRIORITIES — DEAD

  • HB 2391 – Concerning disclosure of lists of individuals under the Public Records Act.
  • HB 2622 – Setting comparison factors for interest arbitration for correctional employees regarding wages, hours, and working conditions.
  • HB 2630 – Concerning collective bargaining for state employee job classifications.
  • HB 2678 – Concerning caseload forecasting for adult protective services.
  • SB 5379 – Granting interest arbitration to certain Parks and Recreation Commission employees.
  • SB 5439 – Directing divestment from thermal coal by the State Investment Board.
  • SB 6109 – Prohibiting investment of State Investment Board funds in private detention facilities.
  • SB 6304 – Incorporating responsible investment principles into State Investment Board decision-making.

WFSE PRIORITIES — NOT YET DEAD BUT DYING

  • HB 2100 – Establishing an excise tax on large operating companies’ payroll above a threshold to fund services via the Well Washington fund.
  • SB 5797 – Enacting a tax on financial assets (e.g., stocks and bonds) to support public schools.

Find more info and previous week's updates on our landing page here.