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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to another edition of Barnard’s Weekly Session Snapshot. I hope this email finds you and your family well. The 2026 session is in the homestretch. I have returned to the House floor to vote on the Senate bills that advanced through both chambers. There are a few I want to bring to your attention, and I will give more details in this update. I will remain on the floor for the remainder of session, which concludes on Thursday, March 12.
Front and center: The proposed Kennewick LRA placement
The potential places of a less restrictive alternative housing site for sexually violent predators in a residential Kennewick neighborhood has been the most critical issue facing the district.
It appears this LRA will not be moving forward. However, this fight is far from over. Individuals with histories and convictions of extreme sexual violence do not belong in neighborhoods near schools, parks, and families.
Even though this particular proposed house looks to be defeated, it does not mean another location cannot pop up in a different neighborhood. That is why it remains absolutely vital that the formal legislative letter be issued to Governor Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, and other state leaders. I joined Representative April Connors and Senators Matt Boehnke and Nikki Torres in demanding action and accountability, ensuring transparency, and prioritizing the community’s safety over state bureaucracy.
You can read the full letter by clicking on the photo below or by clicking here: Tri-Cities lawmakers send letter to Gov. Ferguson, state leaders urging halt of proposed sexually violent predator housing in Kennewick
Advancing local priorities: Update on my active legislation
I have two key pieces of legislation that are still active this session. I am thrilled to report that House Bill 2606 received unanimous Senate approval and is now moving to the governor for signature into law. It was delivered to the governor on March 3. This legislation establishes performance measures, duties, and reporting requirements for the Office of Privacy and Data Protection. It requires the office to serve as the central point of contact for state agencies on policy matters related to data privacy and data protection. This is a major win in ensuring that state agencies properly protect consumer data and regularly evaluate their effectiveness.
I am also incredibly excited to share that House Bill 1210, one of my top priority bills, recently passed the Senate and now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature. This legislation ensures that clean energy transformation businesses have equal access to existing targeted urban area tax preferences. Washington state has a long-standing commitment to clean energy production, but when state tax incentives do not account for the reality of federal safety reviews, the state unintentionally puts up a “closed for business” sign. My bill is about fixing that disconnect so the state can land these historic investments, grow the local economy, and create family-living-wage jobs in the clean energy sector.
Read more about this bill in my press release: Rep. Stephanie Barnard bill to clear the path for clean energy manufacturing and family wage jobs heads to governor’s desk
A quick listen: My recent KONA Radio interview
If you are short on time, I encourage you to listen to my recent conversation with A.J. Brewster at KONA Radio. I discussed several pressing issues moving through the Legislature right now. First, I touched on Senate Bill 5925, which drastically expands the Attorney General’s Office’s investigative powers without proper court oversight. I also discussed Senate Bill 5974, a measure that would allow state bureaucrats to bypass the voters and remove your locally elected sheriff from office. Finally, I covered Senate Bill 6346, which proposes Washington’s first-ever state income tax and threatens to crush the state’s innovative edge.
Listen to my full interview by clicking on the photo below or here.
For more information on these bills, please keep reading.
Pushing back against harmful Senate legislation
As I vote on Senate bills, I want to highlight three particularly bad pieces of legislation.
First is Senate Bill 5925, which I firmly voted “NO” on. This bill expands the authority of the Attorney General’s Office by allowing the attorney general to issue written civil investigative demands for documents, oral testimony, and answers to written interrogatories before the institution of a civil proceeding.
During the floor debate, I heard that this bill was unnecessary because the attorney general already holds these powers. Yet, the majority party pushed through a horrible bill to extend its office’s authority anyway. As I mentioned in my interview on KONA Radio, this legislation gives the attorney general “carte blanche” power to come in and take documents from your business or home based on a reasonable presumption, all without proper court oversight. It is simply way too much power for one office to wield.
I also firmly voted “NO” on Senate Bill 5974, which deals with the decertification of elected sheriffs and effectively removes the actual election process used to put them in office. This bill fundamentally alters the office of the sheriff in Washington state by empowering state bureaucrats to remove elected sheriffs from office. Under this legislation, if a sheriff loses their peace officer certification, the office is automatically declared vacant. This bypasses the traditional recall process, allowing a state commission mostly appointed by the governor to override the will of the voters and remove an elected leader. It essentially transfers the power to choose and remove a sheriff from the local electorate to state bureaucrats. During the debate, I offered an amendment to include a sunset clause. Mistakes can be made, and sunset clauses are a good way to put a halt to something that is not working. Unfortunately, the amendment was not accepted.
Finally, I am still waiting for Senate Bill 6346 to come forward to the floor for a vote, and I will be ready to fight against it. This historically unpopular proposal creates Washington’s first-ever state income tax, imposing a new 9.9% tax on income. I believe this tax would absolutely decimate innovation in this state. It threatens to severely hurt the aerospace, agriculture, and clean energy sectors by completely erasing Washington’s competitive edge. Supporters like to call this a “millionaires tax,” but it is truly a Trojan horse. Once this administrative machinery is in place, future legislatures can easily lower the threshold to capture middle-income earners and eventually everyone else.
Earlier this session, I recorded a video on my thoughts on the income tax. You can rewatch it by clicking on the photo below or here.
Opportunities for young leaders: Legislative Youth Advisory Council
I want to switch gears and share an exciting opportunity for the young adults in the community. The application for the Legislative Youth Advisory Council 2025 to 2027 cohort is now open and will remain open until April 30, 2025.
The council is the official, nonpartisan youth advisory body to the Legislature and comprises approximately 24 geographically, ideologically, and socioeconomically diverse students between the ages of 14 and 18. They are empowered by state law to ensure that the interests and opinions of Washington youth are heard and considered by the Legislature.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could share this incredible opportunity with any young constituents who might be interested. You can find the application portal here: https://walyac.org/apply.
Stay connected
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 the bills I’ve spoken out on in this update or any other legislative issue, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Barnard
