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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to another edition of Barnard’s Weekly Session Snapshot. I hope this update finds you and your family doing well as the 2026 legislative session moves into the final stretch here in Olympia. Staying connected with you is one of my top priorities, and I want to ensure you have the latest information on what is happening at the state Capitol.
Right now, much of the work in Olympia centers on supplemental budgets. These updates adjust the state’s two-year spending plan to reflect changing needs, new costs, and updated revenue projections. While the terminology can sound technical, the decisions made in these budgets affect everyday life across the 8th District.
There are three supplemental budgets, and each tells a different story about priorities and process.
Projects that strengthen our communities
The capital budget is often referred to as the state’s construction budget, but it is really about building and maintaining the places communities rely on every day. It funds projects such as housing, school facilities, behavioral health infrastructure, and local community spaces.
Unlike the operating budget, the capital budget is typically developed through bipartisan collaboration. Lawmakers from both parties work together to identify projects that meet local needs and provide long-term value. Because these investments are tangible and community-focused, they tend to bring broader agreement.
This year’s supplemental capital budget (House Bill 2295) makes mid-cycle adjustments to existing projects and adds targeted investments across the state. I’m encouraged to see several proposals that would directly benefit the 8th District, including:
Proposed projects for the district include:
- $1.52 million for the Housing Trust Fund to support affordable homeownership in West Richland.
- $309,000 for Toyota Center HVAC and security upgrades to ensure this regional hub remains a safe and comfortable venue for all.
- $93,000 for the Kennewick Activity Center for asbestos abatement to address critical health and safety needs.
These investments may not always make headlines, but they improve quality of life, strengthen community infrastructure, and help local organizations continue serving residents. As the budget moves forward, I will be working to ensure these projects remain in the final package.
Building and maintaining our transportation system
The transportation budget is separate from the operating budget because it is funded through dedicated revenue sources and focused specifically on transportation infrastructure. At its core, it supports the roads, bridges, and safety improvements residents rely on every day, as well as long-term planning for regional growth.
Like the capital budget, transportation investments are typically developed through bipartisan collaboration. Many projects span multiple years, so supplemental budgets are essential to keeping critical work moving and preventing delays that increase costs.
For the 8th District, the priority remains ensuring our roadways are safe, reliable, and able to handle continued population and economic growth. The supplemental transportation budget (House Bill 2306) continues progress on several major corridor and safety projects, including:
- SR 224 and Red Mountain corridor improvements to address congestion and improve traffic flow.
- SR 240 Richland corridor improvements that support regional connectivity and freight movement.
- Safety and interchange improvements at the US 395 and Ridgeline intersection.
- Pre-design analysis for I-82 near Red Mountain.
These types of investments have the most direct impact on daily commutes, emergency response times, and local businesses’ ability to move goods efficiently across the region.
The transportation budget also includes transit and multimodal projects, and those commitments continue. However, my focus remains on ensuring core infrastructure, especially the roads and bridges residents depend on every day, receives the attention and funding it needs before expanding into additional programs.
Because transportation projects take years to complete, supplemental budgets play a critical role in maintaining momentum and ensuring communities are not left waiting on essential safety improvements.
You can find more information on this budget and a full list of projects here.
Where the process changes: The supplemental operating budget
The operating budget is the largest of the three and funds education, human services, public safety, and the day-to-day operations of state government. It is also developed differently from the other budgets.
While the capital and transportation budgets are typically negotiated with input from both parties, the operating budget is largely drafted by the majority party, with minority participation in early decision-making. That difference shapes priorities and long-term fiscal direction.
The House supplemental operating budget (House Bill 2289) totals $79.2 billion and continues a pattern of rapid spending growth across recent cycles.
This trajectory raises concerns about sustainability. Spending commitments are growing faster than long-term revenue capacity, increasing reliance on taxes, account transfers, and short-term solutions rather than structural reform.
At the same time, Washington families and employers are facing some of the highest costs in the country.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Washington ranks fifth in overall expenses and fourth in cost of living. Housing, energy, child care, and operating costs continue to rise faster than many wages and business revenues.
These pressures affect more than household budgets. High costs influence where companies expand, where startups launch, and whether skilled workers remain in Washington. Innovation ecosystems depend on affordability, workforce stability, and policy certainty.
Rather than addressing these pressures through reform and prioritization, the proposal relies heavily on new revenue and one-time strategies. It includes nearly $2 billion in new taxes over four years, draws roughly $880 million from the Rainy Day fund, and shifts resources between accounts.
One of the most significant concerns is the transfer of funds from the Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ Retirement System Plan 1. These reserves represent retirement security for first responders who served our communities for decades. Redirecting those resources into general spending reflects a budgeting approach focused on short-term balance rather than long-term responsibility.
Families would also see impacts through higher everyday costs, including a proposed utility tax, bottle tax, higher bag fees, potential increases to real estate excise taxes, and child care policy changes that could limit access. Reductions affecting Local Effort Assistance raise additional concerns for rural schools.
Equally important is what the budget does not include. There are a few meaningful reforms to modernize systems, improve efficiency, or reduce long-term cost drivers.
Washington’s economic future depends on technology, research, entrepreneurship, and investment. Budgets signal priorities. A trajectory built on higher costs and limited reform risks is slowing innovation and discouraging job creation.
The continued push toward a statewide personal income tax amplifies those concerns. While often described as narrowly targeted, the legislation establishes the administrative framework required to track and tax personal income, creating the potential for future expansion.
This is not simply a tax debate. It is a competitiveness question. Washington is competing for talent, research investment, advanced energy development, and emerging industries. Policy choices either strengthen or weaken that position.
Opportunities exist to lead in areas such as advanced nuclear energy, quantum computing, and securing federal research funding that brings investment into Washington communities. When proposals that expand taxation move forward while initiatives designed to attract investment stall, it creates a clear contrast in priorities.
Instead of easing the affordability crisis, this budget risks intensifying it and setting Washington back in the areas that drive long-term economic growth.
The operating budget will be debated and voted on by the full House on Saturday. After reviewing the proposal and its long-term impacts on affordability, innovation, and economic development, I will be voting NO.
The path forward
Budgets reflect the kind of future we are building. Washington can protect essential services while also supporting innovation, strengthening economic development, and making it easier for families and employers to succeed. That requires prioritization, transparency, and reform.
I will continue working toward solutions that grow opportunity, attract investment, and position Washington as a place where technology, entrepreneurship, and community prosperity can thrive.
Please remember that my door is always open. Your feedback, questions, and stories are what guide my work every single day in Olympia. If you have any thoughts on these budgets or any other legislative issue, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.
It’s an honor to serve you.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Barnard
