Washington moved to close a dangerous loophole. Now there’s a constitutional showdown pitting religious freedoms against the duty to protect children

An unusual scene played out during the final hours of the 2025 legislative session, as Democrat after Democrat rose to deliver passionate speeches about a bill that stood no chance of passing into law.

As Washington faces a budget gap somewhere in the multi-billions, state lawmakers have brainstormed ways to close it. Two days after receiving a less-than-sunny revenue forecast, Senate Democrats revealed a five-part tax proposal — one that supporters say would ask ultra-wealthy residents to pay their fair share.

Survivors of abuse by clergy members are defending a new Washington law against accusations from the U.S. Department of Justice that it is “anti-Catholic” and worthy of a federal investigation.

Rent stabilization and nine other housing proposals were signed into Washington state law on Wednesday.

President Trump’s Department of Justice is investigating a new Washington state law that makes clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse, arguing it violates the First Amendment.

Ahead of the last week of the legislative session, Democratic senators on Saturday passed several bills as part of a $12 billion tax package, including expanding the capital gains tax, hiking tax rates on large corporations and big banks, and beginning to collect sales tax on a variety of services.

House Speaker Laurie Jinkins told reporters Thursday that Washington lawmakers are working to pass a wealth tax after all. The Tacoma Democrat’s comment comes weeks after Gov. Bob Ferguson said that he wouldn’t sign either chambers’ proposed budgets, noting their dependence on a new, untested wealth tax.

After Gov. Ferguson said he would veto a “wealth tax,” Democratic legislators proposed expanding capital gains, business and property taxes.

New bills filed Friday in the state House and Senate combine prohibition on flavored vapes proposed early in the legislative session with an increase in cigarette taxes.

A bill that gained bipartisan support in the Washington state Senate to strengthen online safety for children has failed to move forward in the House.

Democratic lawmakers in both chambers of the Washington Legislature on Monday rolled out proposals to close the multi-billion-dollar hole in the state’s operating budget. While both plans include new taxes, Senate lawmakers adopted a more aggressive approach.

Democrats in the Washington state Senate kicked it off Thursday with a monstrous opening statement, calling for higher property tax collections and new levies on the state’s wealthiest individuals and largest corporations. 

Legislation aimed at safeguarding children's mental and behavioral health from addictive social media algorithms and harmful online content has successfully passed the Senate with a 36-12 vote on Wednesday.

The state’s largest facility for youth offenders remains over capacity, with one legislator describing the situation at the site as a “powder keg.”

It’s a debate that’s lingered among state lawmakers for about 20 years. In the last two legislative sessions, two bills that would have made clergy members mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect have failed.

Washington lawmakers are debating whether to require coverage of fertility treatments under group health plans and Medicaid in an attempt to help more people start families. Though concerns have been raised about the costs around the mandate.

Lawmakers will have 105 days to make multi-billion dollar shortfalls disappear from state operations and transportation budgets. They’ll wrangle over policies for capping rent hikes, purchasing guns, providing child care, teaching students, and much, much more. With many new faces, they’ll spend a lot of time getting to know one another as well.

Here are six lawmakers and one statewide executive to keep an eye on when the action begins.

Seeking to cover a looming budget shortfall and stave off cuts to state services, Gov. Jay Inslee is throwing his support behind a proposed “wealth tax” on the state’s richest residents.

A half-dozen state Senate committees will have new chairpersons heading into the 2025 session, with Democrats releasing the lineup on Thursday