OLYMPIA, Wash. – Lawmakers celebrated the start of the 2025 legislative session Monday afternoon, though a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall overshadowed all the pomp and circumstance.
The 69th legislative session covers two years, with lawmakers spending the time debating various policies and how to fund them, a key point as the state faces a projected budget shortfall of $12 billion over the next four years.
As president of the senate, Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck (D) urged state senators to take stock of the moment and remember the public trust that has been placed in them.
“You are part of a small, important group of people determining important things – trying to your best to elevate the condition of your neighbors,” Heck said.
On the other side of the capitol, Democrat Laurie Jinkins was reelected for her sixth term as speaker of the house. Addressing the chamber, she said the state has enjoyed numerous successes in housing, health care and other quality of life aspects.
But even with what Jinkins described as a “strong” state economy, she said inflation and more demand for state services has led to the budget deficit.
“Families in every corner of our state are feeling the cost of living within their budgets and we’re feeling the same budget pressures, too,” Jinkins said. “Despite our strong economy, we’re working with less expected revenue, while trying to do more for our people.”
Citing “deep cuts” that were made “with very long-lasting consequences” in response for the 2008 economic recession, Jinkins said lawmakers have to find the funding for housing, education and other programs that will serve Washingtonians.
“We’ll protect the investments that we’ve made to help working families and have a balanced budget. That’s what our constituents expect of us,” the speaker said. “Our starting point will be reviewing the budget and how we fund the priorities that Washingtonians want and expect. We’ll scrutinize our spending, and we’ll look at revenue options that are balanced and fair and fair and move us toward a less regressive tax structure.”
The speaker also previewed a bumpy road ahead with the federal government, calling the incoming Trump administration the “other challenge impacting our work.” Drawing on what happened in his first term, Jinkins said she expects fights over abortion rights, immigration and LGBTQ+ issues.
“We’ll continue to be proactive and vigilant, looking for places where the state can step up and protect Washington state’s values,” she said.
On the other side of the aisle, House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary (R-Auburn) said lawmakers should focus on the Washington that elected them.
“Let’s let our federally elected officials focus on solving problems in the other Washington,” Rep. Stokesbary said. “And let’s spend 105 days on solving the problems in this Washington.”
Stokesbary said the budget shortfall and other challenges in affordability and safety have real impacts on everyday people, and are due in part to past choices by the legislature.
“Our communities deserve better, our neighbors deserve better, and our children and grandchildren deserve better,” he said.
Stokesbary cautioned lawmakers about the methods they could go about closing the deficit.
“We should think carefully before we enact new taxes that will make life even less affordable,” the representative said. “A tax on jobs will mean fewer jobs. A tax on real estate transactions will mean more expensive real estate.”
Stokesbary acknowledged solutions to the budget shortfall and other quality of life challenges will not be easy to come by or fast to implement, but said Republicans look forward to working with Democrats to solve them.
Speaker Jinkins also extended an olive branch of bipartisanship, citing advice she received from a former state legislator who relayed an adage from late Governor Dan Evans,
“I would rather cross the aisle, than cross the people,” Jinkins recalled.
Under state law, the 2025 regular session ends on April 27.
The opening festivities continue with Governor Jay Inslee giving his final State of the State address Tuesday morning in the House Chamber. On Wednesday, Bob Ferguson will be sworn in as Washington’s 24th governor.
Albert James is a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow
News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and
Washington State University.
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