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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
2025 session statistics – Where we are in the legislative process
- It is day 76 of the 105-day legislative session, which is scheduled to finish April 27.
- Since Jan. 10, 1,081 bills have been introduced in the House, 823 in the Senate.
- After 10 days of long and late-night floor debates (sometimes in the early morning), the House of Origin cutoff arrived on March 12. Many bills that did not pass out of the chamber where they originated are now considered “dead” for the session. Bills necessary to implement the budget are exempt from the cutoff.
- The House passed 263 bills and sent them to the Senate, while the Senate passed 271 bills and sent those to the House.
- The committee process has begun again, as House committees consider the bills sent here by the Senate. Senate committees are also hearing and voting on House bills.
- Our next deadline is Wednesday, April 2, the cutoff for policy bills from the opposite chamber to be passed out of their respective committees.
Today’s newsletter is 799 words, a four-minute read time.
14th District virtual town hall a success!
Thank you to those who attended the 14th District virtual town hall meeting on Thursday, March 13. My seatmate, Rep. Deb Manjarrez and I provided a legislative update and answered questions from the many people who logged in. Not surprisingly, we heard from several folks who worry about our state’s budget, taxes, and affordability. If you missed the meeting, you can watch it online here.
Democrats propose historic tax increases to boost state government spending
House Democrats have proposed increasing state spending in the operating budget to $77.8 billion, about $6 billion more than current spending. Senate Democrats would spend even more—about $78.5 billion. To pay for that additional spending, Democrats propose increasing taxes by as much as $20 billion. It would be the largest tax increase in Washington state’s history if enacted.
The BIG FOUR Democratic tax proposals
- House Bill 2045 would impose a new business and occupation tax surcharge on significant companies and financial institutions. These taxes would be passed on to consumers, making life less affordable, putting loans out of reach, and smothering economic growth.
- House Bill 2046 would impose a new tax on unrealized capital gains. Democrats say only the wealthy would pay this tax, which is not valid, because it would fall on businesses and property owners. That’s fewer jobs, higher costs of goods, and higher cost of shelter at a time when Washingtonians can least afford it.
- House Bill 2049 would increase property taxes by lifting the annual growth cap from 1% to 3%. This may be the tax that hits our citizens the hardest. It would push people out of their homes, and renters would pay more.
- Senate Bill 5796 would create a new payroll tax on nearly 5,300 employers in Washington.
Democrats are also proposing a 9-cent gas tax increase, a 15-cent diesel tax increase, and an increase in vehicle registration fees for transportation.
To be clear, I do not support these tax increases. Families across the 14th District are struggling to make ends meet. They cannot afford additional taxes and higher grocery store and fuel costs. The Legislature should not add to their burdens.
We can balance the budget WITHOUT tax increases and deep cuts
Senate Republicans have proposed a reasonable no-new-taxes $ave Washington budget that prioritizes spending tax dollars on essential services without extensive cuts. It is also important to understand that the state will bring in $2 billion more in the coming 2025-27 budget cycle than the current one without tax increases. Washington does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem!
Parents’ Bill of Rights under attack
I am fighting for parents and against legislation that would dismantle the Parents’ Bill of Rights established under Initiative 2081, which was passed by the Legislature in 2024.
During a six-hour debate past 2 a.m., 47 Republican amendments were offered to House Bill 1296. We argued that the bill undermines parental rights and places state government between parents and their children, particularly in education and medical care. Unfortunately, most of our amendments were rejected. Democrats passed the bill on a party-line vote, 56-37. Both this and a similar Senate measure, Senate Bill 5181, continue to advance in both chambers of the Legislature.
To learn more about this issue, watch my video – “Gutting the Parents’ Bill of Rights is wrong for Washington.”
Also, listen to my interview on Yakima’s KIT Radio.
I am here to serve and represent you!
Call, write, or email my office with your questions, comments, suggestions, and concerns about legislation and state government. I am here to serve, represent, and help you! My contact information is below.
Sincerely,
Gloria Mendoza
