A preview of Washington’s 2026 legislative session

On Monday, Washington state lawmakers will meet in Olympia to kick off a 60-day legislative session. Last month, Gov. Bob Ferguson unveiled a proposed $79 billion supplemental budget that aims to fill a $2.3 billion shortfall in part by tapping the state’s rainy day fund and making cuts to spending on state programs and services. Lawmakers in both chambers will consider other proposals to shore up the state’s finances, including a contentious plan by Senate Democrats that would impose a nearly 10% tax on Washingtonians making more than $1 million a year. The so-called millionaires’ tax would raise an estimated $3 billion annually, but it faces opposition by Republicans who’ve threatened to sue if it wins passage by the Democratic majority in the Legislature.  

Scott Greenstone, a politics reporter at our partner station KUOW and co-host of the Sound Politics podcast, joins us to share more details about that plan and other priorities facing Washington lawmakers during the short session