by Kirk Kirkland
The state legislature session ended with bills sitting on the governor’s desk. High-stakes legislation moved forward despite the lack of funding and the loss of 10% of the state employees due to budget shortfalls Lawmakers navigated difficult decisions in response to limited time and significant fiscal pressure; consequently, even strong policy proposals faced headwinds.
In February 2026, I notified our Pierce County Legislative Delegation that these issues were important to the Environmental Coalition and our readers. Some of these issues were also important to our allies like the state office of National Audubon Society and Futurewise.
Many people were disappointed with the Governor not passing an income tax on the wealthy last year. It could have added considerably toward the funding of state programs. This year, the governor asked not to tax capital gains and negotiated a different kind of income tax. Read more here
HB 2944 imposes a 1% excise tax on individual adjusted gross income exceeding $250,000. This “High-Earner Excise Tax” functions as a narrow income tax designed to bypass previous constitutional challenges. It specifically targets high-wage earnings rather than investment gains to stabilize the general fund.
Also on the governor’s desk is a bill that would prevent tragedies where federal agents opened fire in residential zones during enforcement. The SAFE Act (SB 5906) blocks federal agents from using nonpublic areas of schools and hospitals for civil immigration enforcement.
This legislation follows the 2024 tragedy in Bellingham, where a multi-agency pursuit ended in a fatal shooting in a crowded residential complex. Victims were killed by ICE in Washington and Minnesota. Had the bill been enforced the protections might have de-escalated the presence of armed federal officers. This bill ensures the rule of law applies to all agencies.
Federal enforcement actions in sensitive areas create a “chilling effect” that discourages families from seeking medical care or sending children to school. This legislation ensures that judicial warrants are required, and it upholds constitutional rights and preserves public trust in local institutions.
When passing the ICE-related bills last week, the testimony was some of the most heated of the year. While the SAFE Act (SB 5906) survived because it focuses on “sensitive spaces” like schools, three other bills failed because they were politically “radioactive” for an election year.
Legislation sponsored by Futurewise
The Supportive Housing and Density bills (HB 2266 / SB 6069) remove local regulatory barriers to create more permanent supportive housing and emergency shelters. These bills passed and require cities to allow transitional housing in urban zones already permitted for residential use.
It prevent local “noise” from blocking essential services for the unhoused. By streamlining the permit process, these bills ensure that vulnerable residents find stability faster within existing urban infrastructure.
The Housing Choice and Forest Protection acts (HB 1245 / HB 2160) focus on Lot Splitting and Transit-Oriented Development to provide “gentle density” in our neighborhoods. While SB 6069 passed, HB 1245 failed to clear the Senate floor.
These policies allow homeowners to divide their property to create smaller, more affordable “starter homes,” while encouraging high-density housing near major bus and rail stations to reduce car dependency. These bills work together to protect our forest canopy by focusing new residents in existing urban centers rather than destroying green space for new subdivisions.
The Growth Management Act update (HB 1181) mandates that counties prioritize forest canopy health and carbon reduction in their long-term planning. This bill passed into law. Counties like Chelan and Kittitas have proven that thinning forests reduces “crown fire” intensity while allowing healthy trees to sequester up to 25% of local carbon.
For a complete list of Futurewise’s bills that passed the legislature You can read more here.
Legislation Sponsored by Audubon Washington
The Bird-Friendly Building Standards (SB 6272) failed to pass this session. The bill sought programs to implement “Lights Out” initiatives during peak migration to prevent deadly bird strikes against glass.
They also sought a $400,000 budget increase for WDFW stability to close the “funding gap” created when the state raised biologist salaries but failed to increase the overall operating budget. This funding remains critical for land stewardship and biodiversity studies that have been stalled due to lack of resources.
Audubon Washington also celebrated a late-breaking win – SB 6355, the bill to establish a state transmission authority, passed through the House late Wednesday night with bipartisan support.
Electrical transmission authorities are widely recognized as one of the most effective and critical steps that states can take to help achieve energy affordability, reliability and decarbonization. This bill is a step forward in meeting our state’s clean energy mandate.
Audubon Washington members sent over 1,110 messages to target legislators at key moments in the bill’s journey to help support its passage.
“Regrettably, several of our priority bills, including Lights Out and Wildlife Connectivity, did not advance this year, largely due to compressed timelines. Our state natural resource agency budgets also took a considerable hit, with cuts to wildlife, biodiversity, climate resilience programs and more,” said Trina Bayard, Director of Bird Conservation at Audubon Washington.
To receive follow up information about this legislative session contact these contributors to this summary:
- Futurewise: Marcella Buser, Futurewise State Organizer, action@futurewise.org, or marcella@futurewise.org or https://futurewise.salsalabs.org/2026legupdates/index.html
- Audubon Washington: Trina Bayard, Director of Bird Conservation (tbayard@audubon.org)
- Environmental Coalition:com If you are interested in ICE bills or other state legislation. Read more here about how Federal courts and Supreme Court appeals by non-profit organizations and the states who have pushed back on the Federal Administration’s Executive Orders and tariffs with successful court appeals.
Democracy lives and dies by giving your attention to legislation and court decisions.
[end 961