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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We are wrapping up the fourth week of the 2026 legislative session. This week, we passed the “policy committee cutoff.” All bills must pass the policy committee to which they were assigned for public hearings and debate. If not, they are considered “dead” for the session.
Over the next few days we’ll see the finance committees at work as their deadline is approaching as well. Any bill that has passed a policy committee and that has a fiscal impact must be debated and approved by one of the fiscal committees (The House Appropriations, the House Finance, or the House Transportation Committees).
Here is a quick update on a few of the biggest issues we’ve seen over the past two weeks, along with information about my legislation.
Protecting Washington’s no-income-tax advantage
For generations, our state has not had an income tax, and most of our people are proud of the fact. And 10 times the people have voted against creating an income tax, including the most recent ballot proposal in 2010 that would have added a tax on high income earners that failed nearly 2-1. For nearly 100 years it’s been recognized that a graduated income tax is unconstitutional in Washington, and there has been wide agreement that a constitutional amendment will need to be voted in by the people in order to impose an income tax.
This week, majority party leaders officially released their new state income tax proposal. Senate Bill 6346 would create a new 9.9% income tax on those earning more than $1 million without amending the constitution. Apparently they are hoping the Supreme Court will simply ignore the constitution and let it go into effect. They call it a “millionaire tax,” but history shows these taxes never stay limited. Rates rise. Thresholds fall. What starts at the top eventually reaches everyone, especially if we allow the legislature to set the rates and thresholds without the input of the voters. This current proposal is so concerning that even our pro income tax governor has openly come out against the bill.
We all know Washington does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. Over the past decade, the state budget has more than doubled, driven by unsustainable growth and one-time funding. We have to get back to prioritizing the most important things, there will never be enough money for all the ideas that 147 legislators can think to spend it on. We need to make hard decisions for the benefit of the taxpayers of our state.
Washington voters have rejected an income tax repeatedly for good reason. Once this system is created, there is no easy way back. We should protect what works, live within our means, and build on Washington’s proven economic strengths – not abandon them.
To see all of the new tax proposals by the majority party in 2026, click here.
Standing up for the voice of the people
Washington’s Constitution gives citizens the right to bring ideas directly to the Legislature through the initiative process. That right exists for a reason: when people feel unheard, they deserve a way to speak up.
More than 860,000 Washingtonians from every corner of the state recently signed petitions supporting two major initiatives – one to restore the Parents’ Bill of Rights and another to protect fairness in girls’ sports.
Both initiatives focus on basic fairness and transparency. Parents deserve to know what is happening in their children’s schools and health care, and young women deserve a level playing field in athletics. These are common-sense principles that once earned broad bipartisan support in Olympia.
Unfortunately, legislative leaders have announced they will not hold public hearings on these measures. That is disappointing and out of step with Article 2, Section 1 of our State Constitution, which says citizen initiatives should receive priority.
However, Washington State House and Senate Republicans held two separate listening sessions that allowed the public – on both sides of these issues – to make their case. We believe the People’s Voice matters. If you want to send us a comment on the initiatives or register your support OR opposition, you can do that here. You can learn more about the initiatives at our website here.
Only certain media get press passes?
In a fairly unprecedented move, two long-time and experienced journalists have been denied press passes by the Washington State House of Representatives. Brandi Kruse, who has served over a decade as a reporter at KIRO Radio and at Q13 FOX was a denied a press pass which allows the media to enter the House chambers. A few years ago she left the legacy media and created her own news show online. But because her “beliefs” and how she presents the news doesn’t align with the liberal progressives running the House, she was told she would not be welcome in the House.
Ari Hoffman from KVI Radio was also denied a press pass. His program is known for asking tough questions and pointing out the many problems with how our state is run and who’s to blame for it. In both cases, it’s very sad that someone’s First Amendment Rights are being violated by a legislative institution that needs transparency and accountability. There is talk of a potential lawsuit. We’ll have to see how that plays out.
My bills
House Bill 2113 passed the House Health Care and Wellness Committee and is now eligible for a vote on the House floor. This bill updates state rules on who can supervise radiologic technologists when they perform procedures that involve injecting contract dye, such as during CT scans and MRIs. It aligns state law with federal standards and makes better use of limited physician resources. This will help keep emergency departments functioning in a timely manner, especially in rural areas. Without this bill’s passage, many of our small rural hospitals will be forced to hire more physicians if they can even find them.
House Bill 2486 still hasn’t moved along in the legislative process despite having been placed on a list of bills to receive a public hearing and then pulled – TWICE! This bill limit how much new state energy code rules can increase the cost building smaller homes (under 1,700 square feet). We all know we have a housing shortage which is adding to the cost of existing homes. Any cost relief, especially for smaller, “first time buyer” homes would make a huge difference in allowing folks to pursue their dreams of home ownership.
House Bill 2114 has until Monday, Feb. 9 to move out of the House Transportation Committee. This is a constituent bill that would reduce or eliminate fees when vehicle license plates have the paint peel in their first 5 years. This is a major issue in eastern WA that has been happening in the past several years and it’s just common sense that when the state sells a defective product they are expected to make it right.
House Bill 2250 appears to be dead for the year. This bill clarifies hospital charity care so that limited resources are focused on low-income Washington residents. This will help rural hospitals, especially ones that border Idaho, Oregon, and Canada. The bill received a public hearing and I plan on working the issue during the interim to address opponents’ concerns so that I can introduce a new bill in the 2027 session.
House Bill 1311, my wolf bill, was once again scheduled for executive action in committee but once again was pulled from a vote.
Staying involved in the legislative process
There are many ways to stay informed and involved in our state’s legislative process. Here are just a few:
- Visit our Stop Bad Bills page where you can learn more about bills that will negatively impact you and how you can testify remotely or submit written comments.
- Sign up for our Capitol Buzz. This is a weekday summary of online news stories from around the state, highlighting politics, policies and other important issues.
- Visit The Washington State Ledger, a legislative news aggregator.
- Sign up for The Week Ahead. This is a weekly email that includes a list of bills that will receive public hearings in House committees and instructions on how to take action on them.
- Follow the Washington State House Republican Caucus on social media. We have the largest caucus social media following in the country. Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube | YouTube (All Access) | Threads | LinkedIn
- Call the legislative hotline number to leave a message for your legislators: 1-800-562-6000
Understanding the process
Watching and participating
- TVW | TVW Senate Channel | TVW House of Representatives Channel
- Participating in a committee hearing
- How to comment on a bill
- Visiting the Capitol
- Americans with Disabilities Act Information
Thank you for allowing me to fight for you in the Washington State House of Representatives. It is truly an honor to serve you!
Sincerely,
Andrew Engell
