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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Every session in Olympia has a turning point. At the start, there’s no shortage of ideas. Everyone’s got a bill. As the weeks go by, the focus shifts to which ones are ready to move and which ones aren’t.
I think of it like watching the tide around Whidbey Island. Early on, you’ve got some room to maneuver. But once the tide turns, you’d better be lined up, or you’re fighting the current instead of making progress.
That’s where we are now. Policy committee cutoff is Feb. 4, fiscal committee cutoff comes next on Feb. 9, and by Feb. 17, we hit the house-of-origin cutoff. From here on out, the window gets smaller, and the work gets more focused.
 Putting safety first on Washington roads
One bill that continues to move forward is Senate Bill 5890, my legislation aimed at making our roads safer by cracking down on reckless driving. Washington has seen too many serious crashes caused by extreme speeding and dangerous behavior behind the wheel. When someone is driving far beyond the speed limit and putting lives at risk, that’s not an accident, it’s a choice, and the law should reflect that.
The bill has drawn bipartisan attention and was recently highlighted by Governor Bob Ferguson in his State of the State address, where he emphasized the need to hold the most dangerous drivers accountable and improve safety on Washington roads.
SB 5890 strengthens accountability for reckless driving while reinforcing a clear message: public safety comes first. The bill has advanced through committee and remains on track as we head toward these key deadlines, and I’ll keep pushing to see it move forward in the days ahead.
 Making sure savings actually help patients and providers
When the federal government changes the rules, states don’t get a vote — but we do get a choice in how we respond. Washington can’t control what Congress does with Medicaid, but we can control whether we respond in a way that makes sense for patients, providers, and taxpayers here at home.
That simple idea is what Senate Bill 5881 is built on.
Recent federal Medicaid changes are expected to generate savings through better eligibility verification, removing deceased individuals from the rolls, and tightening administrative inefficiencies. The question isn’t whether those savings exist; it’s what we do with them.
Too often in Olympia, savings show up on paper and then quietly disappear into the general budget, never making it back to the people affected by the policy changes. SB 5881 makes sure that doesn’t happen.
My bill requires the state to calculate those savings each year and reinvest them directly into Medicaid by improving reimbursement rates for doctors, hospitals, and providers who care for Medicaid patients.
That matters because when Medicaid underpays, the cost doesn’t vanish. Providers absorb the loss, services are cut back, or the gap is shifted to people with private insurance or those paying out-of-pocket. That’s one of the hidden ways health care costs keep rising for everyone else.
By directing savings back into provider reimbursement, SB 5881 would help on three fronts at once:
- Medicaid patients gain better access to care.
- Providers are more fairly compensated for the services they deliver.
- Families outside the Medicaid system aren’t forced to subsidize underpayment through higher prices and premiums.
This isn’t about expanding government or creating a new program. It’s about responsibility. If reforms produce savings, those dollars should strengthen the system they came from.
SB 5881 was referred to the Ways and Means Committee after its introduction, but it hasn’t had a hearing yet. The later cutoff for fiscal committees means there is still time for the bill to advance, and I’ll continue working to move it forward before then.
Stay connected
Your questions and concerns help keep me grounded in what really matters back home, and I don’t take that trust for granted. Serving this region is an honor, and I’ll keep working for practical policies that help our communities stay strong, affordable, and a good place to live and work.
Yours in service,
Senator Ron Muzzall
10th Legislative District
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Contact me
Olympia Office:
310 Irv Newhouse Building
P.O. Box 40410, Olympia, WA 98504
Olympia Phone:
360.786.7618
Email:
Ron.Muzzall@leg.wa.gov
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