Initiatives and taxes in the 2026 Session

Sen. Judy Warnick sent this bulletin at 02/03/2026 04:35 PM PST

Feb. 3, 2026

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I hope your 2026 is off to a wonderful start! We are officially off and running in this "short" 60-day session. Because we must finish our work by March 12, the pace in Olympia is incredibly fast.

Right now, we are staring down our first big deadline: tomorrow, February 4. That’s the "policy cutoff," the day when most bills have to pass out of their committees to keep moving forward. It’s always a bit of a scramble, but it’s a vital time to make sure our rural voices in Central Washington are heard loud and clear on everything from public safety and affordability to education and the responsible management of our state resources.

Thank you for the opportunity to represent you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with your questions, views or concerns.

Sincerely,

Sen. Judy Warnick

Protecting parental rights and the integrity of girls' sports

One of the biggest things on my mind lately is a pair of initiatives that hundreds of thousands of you signed to send to the Legislature. Under our constitution, these citizen-led measures are supposed to take precedence over almost everything else we do.

Protecting Girls' Sports (IL26-638): This measure is all about fairness. It aims to keep girls' sports for biological females, ensuring a level playing field and safety for our daughters and granddaughters. I feel so strongly about these issues that I introduced Senate Resolution 8671 to honor the incredible legacy of women’s sports.

Parental Rights (IL26-001): This restoration of the "Parents’ Bill of Rights" focuses on transparency, ensuring you have the right to review school materials and records and be notified about what’s happening with your child’s education.

These initiatives have been certified by the Secretary of State, and I am calling for full public hearings so you can have your say. Unfortunately, so far, the Democrat Majority in Olympia has ruled out listening to the people on these issues.

Later today, Senate and House Republicans will be hosting two listening sessions on these initiatives.

These sessions will give the people a public forum to share comments in favor of, or in opposition to, each of the initiatives. Space is limited. LEARN MORE.

Democrats release income tax proposal

While you’re working hard to make ends meet, the majority party in Olympia is unfortunately looking for new ways to reach into your wallet. Despite passing the largest tax increase in state history just last year, they are already claiming the state has a "revenue problem."

Last night, they released the details of their most alarming proposal – a new state income tax. They’re calling it a "millionaire’s tax" (targeting those earning over $1 million), but we’ve seen this story before. Once an income tax is established, it rarely stays limited to the wealthy; it eventually expands to hit middle-class families and small business owners.

What I’m working on for you

In addition to playing defense against new taxes, I’ve been busy introducing several bills to help our district. Here is a quick look at where things stand:

Official State Cactus (SB 5325): I’m happy to report this one has already passed the Senate! It was inspired by some bright students in Ellensburg who wanted to name the Pediocactus nigrispinus as our state cactus.
Clean Skies (SB 5932): To help our aerospace industry, I introduced this bill to support low-carbon aviation fuel. It received its first public hearing on January 28.
Better Doctor Training (SB 6251): We need the best for our healthcare. This bill requires traditional letter grades in medical schools and had a public hearing this week.
Wildfire Risk Transparency (SB 5928): To protect homeowners, I introduced this bill to ensure insurance companies are transparent about how they use wildfire risk scores. It requires insurers to disclose your property's score, explain the factors behind it, and provide a clear path to appeal or lower your rates through mitigation. The bill, which came directly out of Kittitas County and is requested by the Insurance Commissioner, is currently in the Rules Committee, the final stop before consideration by the full Senate.

In the News

Listen & Watch

Video Updates:

In this episode of Elephant in the Dome, Senate Republican Leader John Braun and I discuss two citizen-driven initiatives shaping Washington’s legislative agenda: IL26-638 – Protecting fairness and safety in girls’ sports, and IL26-001 – Restoring the Parents’ Bill of Rights. [Watch Here]
Washington State Legislative Republican Media Avail Jan. 20, 2026 [Watch Here]
Martin Luther King Junior Day
Initiative protecting female athletes needs to be heard

Audio Updates:

The Columbia Plateau cactus is on its way to becoming Washington’s official state cactus. [Listen Here]
A statewide initiative aimed at clarifying who can compete in girls’ sports is now in the Legislature’s hands. [Listen Here]
KPQ Legislative Update: Senators Short & Warnick Discuss Budget, Wildfire Funding, and Insurance Challenges

Local homeschool student serves as Senate Page

Elisabeth Shearer, a Moses Lake homeschool student, recently spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. It was a pleasure sponsoring Elisabeth as a page. She was very excited to help us and did an excellent job. I’m glad she was able to join us and take part in this unique experience. I think her eagerness to learn will take her far in life.

Elisabeth was one of 16 students who served as Senate pages for the second week of the 2026 legislative session.

The Page Program is one of my absolute favorite parts of this job. Every week, we have local students (ages 14–16) come to Olympia to help us out and see how laws are actually made. If you have a teen at home who might be interested, please give my office a call! It is a great way to inspire the next generation of leaders.