The 2026 legislative session ended with one of the longest and most intense debates in state history — our nearly 25-hour floor battle to stop a new state income tax.
My House Republican colleagues and I went to the mat for every Washingtonian in this epic battle that included hundreds of speeches on nearly 80 amendments in the hopes of blocking this unconstitutional tax — or at least slowing it down — to ensure Democrats could not push this through in the middle of the night as planned, but instead were forced to lay it all out in the light of day.
Rep. Travis Couture leads House Republicans nearly 25-hour battle against the state’s first-ever income tax
Unfortunately, despite our historic effort to stop this unconstitutional tax, the Democrat majority forced the income tax through. Worse yet, they passed it with the addition of a “necessity clause” removing the public’s right to repeal the tax through referendum.
The passage of Washington’s first-ever income tax marks a seismic shift in state policy that not only ignores the will of the voters who have repeatedly rejected an income tax but also puts Washington’s economic future at risk. On top of that, it does nothing to reduce existing regressive taxes or make things more affordable for working families. And even if it survives the legal challenges it’s expected to face ahead, an income tax brings volatility to our already strained budget and economy.
An $80 Billion Budget Built on Risk
On top of passing the state’s first-ever income tax, a year after passing the largest tax increases in state history, and in the face of yet another budget deficit — majority Democrats still approved the largest budget in state history with their more than $80 billion supplemental operating budget that:
• Increases spending by billions more than projected tax collections • Drains $880 million from reserves, the second lowest in the country • Relies on legally uncertain revenue, including a pension raid
In December, I proposed the Republican budget proposal, the Affordability First Budget, which would’ve balanced and taken a completely different approach. It included:
No new taxes, and required a super majority vote to raise taxes
Meaningful tax relief to the working class
Reasonable spending limits tied to inflation and population, and other budget reforms
Fully funded essential services like healthcare, schools, and public safety
Cut nearly $4B in government waste
Sadly, the majority mostly rejected that plan. However, I was able to secure more funding for victims of violent crime, the Working Families Tax Credit, and importantly, re-fund wildfire protection that was cut the session before.
This budget spends more, taxes more, and still leaves Washington on shaky financial ground by depending on an illegal income tax and, in an unprecedented and legally questionable move, raiding billions from the LEOFF 1 pension fund — money earned by retired police officers and firefighters.
Health Care and Education Cuts
Despite record spending, Democrats made massive cuts, including:
A combined $1.2 billion in Medicaid cuts over the last two years
More than $250 million cut from schools, particularly in rural and low-income district
$124 million cut to child care
$31 million from nursing homes and assisted living
The Democrats’ cuts to K-12 funding impact vital programs like Running Start and Transition to Kindergarten, making it even harder for students in poorer districts to get ahead. House Republicans fought to restore these cuts and add $500 million for classroom supplies, but the majority rejected these efforts, leaving our schools and students without the support they need.
Failing to Protect Children
I am deeply disappointed by the majority’s refusal to take action this session to prevent the needless fentanyl-related deaths of children within our state’s child welfare system.
For years, I have fought to reform the “imminent physical harm” standard established by the 2021 Keeping Families Together Act. This standard has led to record child fatalities — primarily among babies and toddlers — under the supervision of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Despite constant warnings that inaction leads to tragedy, my predictions continue to come true.
In just the past two years, more than 100 children — most of them babies and toddlers — have died or nearly died because they are left in homes where parents are actively abusing hard drugs. Despite building bipartisan support over the interim, the majority refused to bring my bill or similar legislation prioritizing children’s lives to a floor vote, even after I forced rare procedural motions to bring them to the House Floor. These bills sought to:
Define “Imminent Harm” Clearly: Explicitly state that the presence of hard drugs, like fentanyl, constitutes an imminent danger to children, requiring intervention.
Restore Authority to Act: Remove the legal ambiguity that prevents judges and social workers from removing children from drug-saturated environments.
Shut the 72-Hour Revolving Door: Prevent children from being returned to lethal environments within days due to technical loopholes.
In a final effort, we introduced an amendment to the operating budget to implement my bill, House Bill 1092. On the House floor, Republicans read horrifying details from DCYF child fatality reports to lay out the stakes.
The amendment failed by three votes, despite seven Democrats joining every House Republican in support. By opting for a “wait and see” approach, the majority has ensured that more tragic, preventable deaths will occur before we can attempt to fix this deadly law next session. I will not stop fighting for these children. Not ever.
Initiatives to the Legislature
Washington voters sent two key initiatives to the Legislature this session: IL-26-638, which protects girls’ sports, and IL-26-001, which restores parental rights. Despite the significance of these measures, the majority party refused to hold public hearings or allow either initiative to reach the House or Senate floors for a vote. I attempted to force them to be heard in committee with a procedural motion, but Democrats denied it. In response, House and Senate Republicans hosted independent listening sessions on February 3 to ensure these voices were heard, and citizens packed two large hearing rooms.
Because the Legislature failed to act, both initiatives will now advance to the November ballot, where Washington voters will make the final decision.
Wrong Direction on Public Safety
While Democrats focused on letting more criminals out of prison early, lessening penalties on sex offenders and placing new restrictions on law enforcement, House Republicans prioritized public safety and victim-centered accountability. Throughout the session, we fought to strengthen penalties for theft and exploitation, protect victims, and provide police with the support they need to keep communities safe.
Democrats also pushed through Senate Bill 5974, which makes it possible for a governor-appointed state commission to remove your locally elected sheriff. They also passed Senate Bill 5925, which gives the Attorney General sweeping new civil investigative authority to compel records, demand sworn testimony, and launch investigations before any lawsuit is even filed and without a warrant or judges order. These two bills are part of a worrying trend: they continue to take power away from the people and hand more control to state officials in Olympia. These are just a few large examples of the many unconstitutional measures that were passed by the majority party.
Affordability Wins
House Republicans were able to stop many Democrat bills that would have made life in Washington state even less affordable, the most since at least 2011. These include bills that would have increased the cost of groceries, electricity, housing, tires, and even clothing.
With Washington families and seniors facing a historic cost-of-living crisis driven by state policy decisions, I was proud to unanimously pass House Bill 2124 to help retirees access more of their own money sooner. My new law raises the threshold for small pension payouts, allowing thousands of current and future retirees to take a meaningful lump-sum payment instead of waiting years for tiny monthly checks. At a time when grocery, housing, and everyday costs continue to climb, this commonsense fix puts money back into retirees’ pockets when they need it most and saves taxpayers money — without raising taxes or growing government — and reflects my continued focus as House Republican budget leader on practical solutions that improve affordability for Washingtonians.
Victories in the 35th
I also worked closely with my seatmates, Rep. Dan Griffey, and Sen. Drew MacEwen to deliver key investments for the 35th District, led by a major win keeping the Highway 3 Freight Corridor project on track after proposed cuts threatened to delay it yet again.
As House Republican budget leader, I also worked closely with Rep. Griffey on the transportation budget process to help secure millions in additional funding for the Washington State Patrol toxicology lab to help reduce the massive DUI testing backlog that has delayed justice and put dangerous drivers back on our roads. These wins — along with investments in 911 modernization, infrastructure, and local safety improvements — reflect our continued focus on practical results that make the 35th District safer, more reliable, and better prepared for the future.
Thank you for staying engaged and please stay in touch in the months ahead as I continue working hard for our communities.
Travis Couture
State Representative Travis Couture 35th Legislative District RepresentativeTravisCouture.com 404 John L. O'Brien Building | P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600 travis.couture@leg.wa.gov 360-786-7902 | Toll-free: (800) 562-6000
