2025 Session

On Thursday, the Washington State Senate took the leap and approved a rent stabilization bill, but first senators gutted it with provisions that quickly earned the ire of tenant advocates. An original 7% cap on annual rent increases could instead rise to 20% or more.

Wealthy landlords are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to mislead Washingtonians and to try to block a moderate, but protective rent stabilization bill that will finally provide renters with predictability and stability over their housing costs. 

Boeing has taken in billions in tax breaks from Washington State, but still lays off workers all the same. Nonetheless, state lawmakers are pushing to include a loophole to a new tax to shield Boeing yet again.

Governor Bob Ferguson’s reticence to approve new taxes represents a major obstacle to closing a big budget hole without deep cuts to social services. In fact, Ferguson announced Tuesday he would veto any budget that included a wealth tax, which could tie state lawmakers’ hands.

Despite considerable momentum behind SB 5156 coming from the state Senate, the idea of reforming Washington's strict elevator codes met resistance from firefighter groups and the powerful elevator constructor's union.

While the Washington State Senate budget includes additional taxes on e-bikes and fees for public transit, the House budget includes cuts to transit and climate work. Both budgets are in agreement on the need to double down on a number of highway megaprojects.

Issaquah Rep. Victoria Hunt added long implementation timelines and additional exemptions to Washington's parking reform bill as it passed out of Local Government Committee on Friday. Bill sponsors still tout the policy's significant potential to reduce costs for homebuilding.

The rent stabilization bill that the Washington State House approved this week scaled back other protections for renters, including a cap on move-in fees and late fees. The bill now heads to the Senate.