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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to another edition of Barnard’s Weekly Session Snapshot. We are wrapping up an incredibly busy week here in Olympia. As we cross major legislative deadlines, I want to ensure you are fully up to speed on the critical issues impacting the 8th District and our entire state.
Video update | Fighting for innovation over taxation
We have just reached a critical deadline here in Olympia: the House of Origin cutoff. This is the point where bills must pass out of the chamber where they started, or they are likely dead for the year. This deadline narrows the field of legislation we are considering and pulls back the curtain on the Democrat majority’s true priorities. Now that the dust has settled, we can see exactly what is heading our way from the Senate, and the difference in our plans for Washington could not be more clear. While I am fighting to make Washington a global leader in innovation and energy, we are facing proposals that would take us backward. Learn more by watching my video update here or by clicking on the photo below.
Stopping Washington state’s first state income tax
The most dangerous of these backward proposals is Senate Bill 6346.
The sponsors claim it only targets the ultra-wealthy, describing it as a “millionaires’ tax,” but we need to look at what the bill actually does. This legislation builds the administrative machinery for a personal income tax in Washington state. It creates a brand-new section of our legal code and establishes the bureaucracy needed to track and tax your income. Once that system is built and the door is opened, history tells us it never stays shut. Future legislatures can, and likely will, lower the tax threshold to capture the middle class and small business owners.
A tax on anybody is a tax on everybody.
Beyond the cost to your wallet, think about the cost to our economy. We are in a race for talent, investment, and new industries. When we threaten a state income tax, we are effectively hanging a closed for business sign on our state, telling the next generation of innovators that their ideas are better off in Texas, Florida, or Tennessee.
I will continue to fight against this, but I need your voice. Please take a moment to sign in to testify (remotely or in person), provide written testimony, or have your position noted for the legislative record. You can formally register your opposition to the bill and share your story about how Washington’s first state income tax would affect you.
Missed opportunities for Washington’s future
The Democrat majority’s priorities are simply not aligned with what is needed to put Washington state first in innovation, technology, and energy. We saw several of my key economic bills die at the cutoff, bills designed to bring money into Washington rather than tax it out of your pockets.
House Joint Memorial 4016 was introduced to express the state’s interest in response to the United States Department of Energy’s request for information on hosting one or more nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses. This would have brought family-wage jobs and solidified our region as the clean energy capital of the world. House Bill 2186, my MATCHED bill, was a common-sense way to help our communities secure federal grants. It would have supported the acquisition of federal funds to promote economic development by providing state matching funds. House Bill 2446 aimed to develop the state’s quantum technology industry and its economic development and workforce. House Bill 2090 was drafted to integrate advanced nuclear energy into the state energy strategy. Lastly, House Bill 2413 aimed to ensure that the Clean Energy Transformation Act provides the regulatory certainty to allow investments in new energy generation resources sufficient to meet Washington’s energy needs.
We should be rolling out the red carpet for the nuclear sector, the quantum pioneers, and the researchers who will solve tomorrow’s problems, rather than pushing bad legislation that scares away opportunity.
Leading the charge on nuclear energy
I am proud to serve as a primary figure in launching and leading the Washington State Legislative Nuclear Energy Caucus. This bipartisan group is focused on advancing nuclear energy to meet the state’s 100 percent clean energy goals by 2045, addressing grid strain, and fostering high-tech jobs. The caucus aims to promote nuclear energy as essential for the state’s Clean Energy Transformation Act, providing carbon-free, baseload power to supplement wind and solar. We promote small modular reactors, support energy innovation, and explore new technology. Our efforts include supporting legislation to incentivize clean energy manufacturing, accelerate new nuclear project development, and establish advisory commissions.
Recently, our caucus has discussed the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility alongside partners like X-Energy, Energy Northwest, and Amazon Web Services. We also received an introduction to Washington VERTical and nuclear fuel supply opportunities from Framatome and General Matter. Furthermore, we covered the fleet deployment of nuclear energy for scaling safe, secure, and clean energy, as well as spent fuel and recycling through Project Omega. Our upcoming focus for 2026 includes pushing for state-level strategies to develop new nuclear power generation and leveraging federal, state, and local partnerships for nuclear modernization.
Fix Washington Podcast
In a recent episode of the Fix Washington Podcast, I joined host and House Republican Caucus Chair Peter Abbarno to discuss the policies shaping Washington’s economic future. I detailed why I launched a legislative Nuclear Energy Caucus and how advanced nuclear technology could strengthen the state’s grid, grow jobs, and provide long-term, reliable baseload power for Washingtonians. You can watch the full episode here or by clicking on the photo above.
KONA Radio appearance: The future of nuclear energy
I also recently joined KONA Radio to talk about the future of nuclear energy in Washington and the legislative hurdles facing our push for advanced reactor technology. During the interview, I provided a candid behind-the-scenes look at the rise and sudden stall of House Bill 2090. I explained how a single news headline shifted the momentum of a bill we spent years building support for in Olympia.
We also discussed the urgent need for a more robust power grid as data centers flock to our region. Renewables alone cannot meet the state’s growing energy demands, and we must embrace advanced technology to ensure reliable power.
The discussion concluded with a call to action regarding House Bill 1210, a crucial tax incentive bill currently moving through the Senate. This legislation aims to enhance access to targeted tax preferences for clean energy manufacturers in urban areas. It is a vital step that could bring major generation projects and family-wage jobs right here to the Tri-Cities. You can listen here or click the photo below.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update. It is an honor to serve you.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Barnard
