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September 17, 2025

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The summer has gone by very quickly. And now, students have returned to school. It has been a few weeks since my last newsletter, so I wanted to take a few minutes to provide this email update.

The Democratic Party holds a significant majority in the Washington State House of Representatives, with 59 seats compared to 39 held by the Republican Party as of the most recent legislative session. This substantial difference in representation can lead to challenges in achieving equal legislative representation of all viewpoints within the state. My monthly newsletter includes facts about how this unbalanced representation is negatively impacting Washingtonians.

Back to school – Facts from Olympia you may not know

This is one of the more expensive times of the year for families who are preparing their children to return to school. And this year, thanks to legislation passed earlier by the Democratic majority in Olympia, taxes are higher, which means you’re paying more for clothes, school supplies, and other essentials — including the gasoline to get you to the stores.

Here’s a quick list of what happened in Olympia during the 2025 session that is impacting families and students as they prepare to go back to school.

Did you know?

• Democrats denied attempts by Republicans to provide a back-to-school sales tax holiday (House Bill 2066). Studies show the average family will spend $860 to prepare their children for school. Our amendment would have saved them $85. 
• Republicans attempted to save levy equalization for property-poor districts. Democrats said no and approved higher property tax increases. 
• Republicans attempted to cap the pay of school superintendents and administrators to save money, hire more teachers, and reduce class sizes. Democrats rejected the proposal.
• Democrats ended voter-approved parental rights protections and pushed more ‘secrecy policies’ to hide things from parents (House Bill 1296).
• Republicans attempted to have safe and sane policies for school bathrooms and locker rooms to protect young girls (Rep. Mary Dye’s Amendment 480 to House Bill 1296). Democrats said no. 
• Republicans tried to remove biological males from competitive girls’ sports for safety and Title 9 compliance. Democrats said no. 
• Republicans tried to ban porn in schools and libraries. Democrats said no. 

Despite these facts and statistics, my House Republican colleagues and I are determined to fight for our families and their children to create a better education system and make Washington affordable for all.

A reminder: Pay attention in school zones
With the beginning of classes comes a whole new flurry of activity around school buildings and in school zones. Be sure to pay attention to the 20-mph school zone speed limits. Remember, traffic fines are DOUBLE in school zones. Keep an eye out for children who will be crossing the street. Be sure to stop behind school buses when the stop lights/signs are out. Don’t try to pass them. And don’t take your eyes off the road — even for a second. Let’s make sure all our children remain safe as they return to school!

Second wave of tax increases to hit Oct. 1

In my previous email updates, I told you that during the 2025 legislative session earlier this year, Democrats passed a record-setting $77.9 billion 2025-27 operating budget and a $12.5 billion increase in taxes over the next four years.  You can see the list of tax increases here.

While many of these tax increases took effect in July, the next wave will hit businesses across the state Oct. 1. That’s when Senate Bill 5814 takes effect. This measure increases the sales tax on various services and goods, including advertising services, live presentations, information technology services, custom website development services, and other related services. It also includes raising the sales tax on cigarettes to more than $5 per pack and a 95% tax on Zyn and other tobacco products. You can read more about the new retail sales taxes here.

My House Republican colleagues and I opposed these tax increases.

Olympia deflection

Gov. Ferguson and Democrats here in Washington state are apparently feeling the backlash of the tax increases and the enormous Medicaid cuts they imposed during the 2025 session.

Recently, Ferguson called a press conference to blame Trump’s tariffs for higher grocery costs. However, the governor failed to point out that in May, he (Ferguson) signed the largest tax increases in the state’s history, which will undoubtedly be a major driver of higher costs. See the Center Square article and read our House Republican leadership response.

Legislative Democrats in Olympia also cut nearly $800 million from Medicaid in April, long before any action took place in Washington, D.C. Yet, they are blaming Congress in the other Washington for the Medicaid cuts.

Apparently, their new playbook is to blame President Trump and Congress in Washington. D.C. for the poor policy decisions the Democratic majority is making in Olympia. My advice – don’t fall for the bait. Read House Republican Budget Leader Travis Couture’s Medicaid press release.

Working for you!

It is an honor to represent you and our 14th District. Although we are not in a legislative session until January, I continue to stay active in our local communities, meeting with citizens, and participating in local events and meetings. Here is a sampling of my schedule from August:

• Aug. 4: Yakima County National Night Out/Henry Beauchamp Community Center – Teen Center ribbon cutting: This event brought together local law enforcement, leaders, families, and community partners to build relationships while bringing back a true sense of community.
• Aug. 5: Astria Toppenish Hospital Behavioral Health Unit ribbon-cutting ceremony: This event celebrates the opening of the new Behavioral Health Unit in Toppenish.
• Aug. 6: Met with Joe Nguyen, Director of the State Department of Commerce: Discussed economic development in Yakima County.
• Aug. 8 – Radio interview with KVI, Seattle: Discussion of destructive Democrat policies that are hurting Washington’s business climate. Listen to that interview here.
• Aug. 16 – Boys and Girls Club of Benton and Franklin Counties: Amazon Field Day.
• Aug. 18 – Washington Beer Country legislative tour: Toured hop fields and production facilities in Sunnyside, Toppenish, Yakima, and Moxee.
• Aug. 19 – Tour of city transportation and infrastructure projects in Pasco with local officials.
• Aug. 20 – Spanish radio interview on KDNA to discuss Washington’s business climate and ferry award to Florida.
• Aug. 20 – Congressman Newhouse’s Farmers’ Listening Session: Attended to hear more from local farmers about agricultural issues. Guests included U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson of Pennsylvania, State Department of Agriculture Director Derek Sandison, and Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Jon Wyss.
• Aug. 20 – Meeting with Washington State County Road Administration Board Executive Director Jane Wall.
• Aug. 21 – Stand for Children WA: I discussed a variety of issues impacting young people’s educational success, including the transition to post-secondary education
• Aug. 22 – Center for Latino Leadership: I helped to assemble 100 resource bags for farm workers in Benton and Yakima counties.
• Aug. 29 – Outreach for homeless individuals in Toppenish.

Please let me know if you would like me to be part of your community activities.

Please stay in touch!

Whether you have a question about legislation or are experiencing difficulties obtaining assistance from a state agency, please don’t hesitate to contact my office. I work for you throughout the year. You’ll find my contact information below.

Thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve and represent you!

Sincerely,

Gloria Mendoza