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Sept. 24, 2025
A fresh start: It’s Back-to-School in Washington
 Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to the first newsletter of the 2025–26 school year! As classes resume across our state—from our neighborhood elementary schools to our campuses at WSU Tri-Cities, Columbia Basin College, and beyond—I’m energized by the promise of learning in every corner of Washington.
K–12 schools are officially back in session, and our local schools are welcoming students with renewed energy. However, the return hasn’t come without challenges. Washington state schools are still waiting for approximately $137 million in federal K–12 funding, around 15.6% of our total federal education support, which remains on hold due to a federal review. This delay is putting critical programs, such as after-school and summer enrichment, in limbo, forcing school districts to delay hiring and implementation of initiatives.
Our colleges and universities are also navigating funding cuts. The 2025 state budget reduced higher education allocations by approximately 1.5% across the board, down from the originally proposed 3%. UW is facing a $15.4 million reduction, WSU a $9.9 million cut, and community colleges a combined $12.3 million reduction. At the same time, legislative negotiations over the 2025–27 operating budget included tough choices, like possible furloughs or temporary salary reductions, even as money saved from accounting errors continued to be addressed.
As a member of the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee and the Higher Education Committee, I’m actively involved in shaping policies that impact both our economy and our students’ futures:
In higher education, I’m focused on protecting institutional funding, opposing excessive furlough mandates, and preserving local control to allow colleges to adapt effectively.
On the environment and energy front, I’m advocating for sustainable policies that both protect our natural resources and promote job growth—ensuring our children inherit not only a thriving economy but a healthy environment.
Washington has always led through innovation, so let’s make it happen again.
Currently, the federal government is holding back billions in education funds, shifting responsibility to the states. While governors and bipartisan coalitions challenge the freezes in court, Republicans, including senators across the country, have urged the White House to release the money so local schools can operate effectively. This is a crucial moment: if federal dollars are delayed, the states must be ready to step up.
Here in Washington, Republicans are stepping forward with practical solutions to bolster our schools and universities:
Maximize flexibility and autonomy: We support efforts to consolidate federal grants into flexible block grants, giving schools and districts more local control over how best to use funding to support students.
Protect state higher education budgets: Through the Senate Higher Education Committee, I’m supporting targeted relief, controlled budget reductions, and avoided furlough mandates that preserve institutional quality and keep tuition more stable.
Align environmental, tech, and education needs: On the Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, I'm working to ensure our tech and green sectors drive workforce development, keeping talent trained and employed right here in the 8th District, while remaining at the forefront of artificial intelligence and its effect on state policy.
My guiding principle is simple: let’s leverage state leadership, local job growth, and smart policy to make Washington the very best place to raise a family and pursue education. Our students and workforce deserve nothing less.
As we move closer to the 2026 legislative session, which begins in January, I’m committed to tackling these issues head-on, ensuring our energy policy and schools remain strong, our higher education institutions remain resilient, and our Washington State steps up where the federal government falls short.
Priority deadline: October 22, 2025
Sawyer Kreis, a sophomore at Hanford High School, spent a week in March working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia.
One of the most rewarding parts of serving in the Legislature is working alongside bright, motivated students who come to Olympia as part of our internship program. Each year, college students from across Washington have the opportunity to step into the heart of the legislative process, gaining real-world experience, building professional skills, and making a difference in their communities.
Applications for the 2026 session are now open.
College juniors or seniors (by January 2026) in good academic standing, attending a Washington 4-year college/university, or who are Washington residents studying out of state, are eligible. The student must earn academic credit for the internship.
The key deadlines are:
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Priority deadline: October 22, 2025
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Final deadline: October 29, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (no late or incomplete applications will be considered)
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As summer winds down, I’m proud to share the latest from my work as Washington’s representative in the Western Energy Caucus (WEC)—a bipartisan regional coalition addressing critical energy challenges across the West.
This June, I was honored to be selected for the inaugural WEC cohort due to my leadership in energy innovation, clean-tech workforce development, and public-private collaboration. Alongside lawmakers from 11 western states, I engaged in the Caucus’s first international policy exchange in Denmark. There, we studied cutting-edge clean energy systems—from district heating networks to carbon capture technologies. These insights are already informing how we modernize Washington’s energy infrastructure.
The WEC, initiated by the Institute for Western Energy, is an invitation-only bipartisan group of state policymakers committed to collaborating on energy policy for the West. Its mission is to foster reliable, affordable, and clean energy across the region through public-private partnerships, strategic coordination, and policy development.
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As part of my ongoing efforts in the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, I’ve been actively supporting sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which are a critical tool for both environmental stewardship and economic growth across Washington.
Earlier this year, I co-sponsored ESSB 5447, which was signed into law in July, laying the groundwork to scale SAF in our state. It codified the Alternative Jet Fuels Work Group and established tax incentives, including a preferential B&O tax rate of 0.275% and credits for SAF sales. The incentives are set to begin when in-state production reaches 20 million gallons annually.
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Events Calendar | October
Oct. 3 | Data Center Workgroup Energy/Resource meeting
Oct. 9 | PNW Regional Energy Symposium
Oct. 15-17 | BIAW - Building Leaders Summit
Oct. 23 | 28th Annual Public Power Forum
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