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The 2026 legislative session is officially underway, and it is shaping up to be one of the most consequential sessions Washington has faced in years. The central challenge is unavoidable: a major budget shortfall driven by years of unchecked spending, paired with renewed pressure to raise taxes on families, workers, and employers who are already stretched thin.
Below is where things stand and what I am focused on.
Budget reality check: more taxes did not fix the problem
Just last year, the majority party claimed historic tax increases would stabilize the budget. Instead, we are already facing a projected $1.52 billion deficit in the current biennium and a $4.3 billion gap in the four-year outlook.
Despite that reality, Democrats are signaling yet another round of tax hikes, including:
• A 9.9% state income tax on so-called “high earners.”
• A new wealth tax that would hurt job growth and send investors fleeing.
• A new payroll tax on wages over $125,000, paid by employers and threatening family-wage jobs.
• A higher real estate excise tax (REET) that will make housing even less affordable.
• An 11% tax on firearms, ammunition, and parts targeting lawful citizens rather than criminals.
Washington families were promised stability. They got another crisis. You can listen to my KIT Radio interview on the Democrat tax plans here.
There is a better way: affordability first
House Republicans have put forward a clear alternative. Our budget leader, Rep. Travis Couture, released a no-new-taxes budget framework focused on affordability, accountability, and results.
The core idea is simple: right-size government, prioritize essential services, and stop asking working families to fund programs that are not delivering. More money is not the answer when the system itself is broken.
We can protect health care, food security, and services for the most vulnerable without growing government or raising taxes. That requires discipline, not denial.
Child safety must come before ideology
Few issues are more urgent than protecting children. Since the state changed child welfare law in 2021, deaths and near-deaths involving children connected to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) have risen to unacceptable levels.
For two years, we have pushed common-sense legislation (House Bill 1092) to allow social workers and law enforcement to remove children from homes where fentanyl or other hard drugs create an immediate danger. Those bills have not even been given a hearing.
This is not about punishing parents. It is about accountability and giving children a chance to live. When ideology prevents action, the cost is measured in young lives. I encourage you to contact the chair of the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee and ask him to hold a public hearing on this bill so we can ensure children are protected and their safety is once again prioritized. You can also read my op-ed on this issue here.
Religious freedom still matters
A recent unanimous ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a much-needed reminder that constitutional rights do not disappear when they become inconvenient.
The court correctly affirmed that faith-based organizations like the Yakima Union Gospel Mission have the right to hire employees who share and live out their religious beliefs. Government should not force ministries to choose between their faith and their ability to serve.
Religious liberty is not a loophole. It is a foundational freedom that deserves protection, not hostility. You can read my op-ed on religious freedom and the court’s ruling here.
An agenda that raises costs and weakens public safety
Alongside new taxes, we are also seeing the return of policies that undermine public safety and accountability. Proposals this session include reduced criminal sentences, restrictions on law enforcement, limits on local control, taking away the right for county voters to elect their local sheriff, and new barriers to addressing encampments and violent crime.
Washington deserves safe communities and laws that protect victims, not criminals. I will continue to oppose policies that move us in the wrong direction and threaten the safety of our families and communities.
Protecting the people’s right to the initiative
Another troubling proposal this session targets one of Washington’s most important constitutional rights: the citizen initiative process.
Senate Bill 5973 would impose new pre-filing hurdles on initiatives by requiring at least 1,000 signatures before a ballot title can even be issued. Supporters claim this is about controlling signature gatherers, but in reality it puts government between citizens and their right to go directly to voters.
This bill has drawn rare and bipartisan opposition. Former Secretary of State Sam Reed warned lawmakers that the initiative process is viewed by voters as “almost sacred.” Current Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, a Democrat, also urged the Legislature not to move the bill forward, noting that his office is already equipped to address fraud without burdening the process itself.
The initiative process exists precisely because the people do not always trust Olympia to police itself. When lawmakers start rewriting the rules to make citizen action harder, that should concern everyone, regardless of party.
I oppose efforts that weaken the people’s voice and shield politicians from public accountability. Washington’s Constitution is clear, and we should respect both its text and its intent. While the bill already had a public hearing, it’s not too late to submit written testimony. I encourage you to act in order to protect The People’s Voice!
I will keep you updated as the session moves forward. My focus remains the same: affordability, public safety, constitutional rights, and a government that works for the people who fund it.
As always, thank you for the opportunity to serve.
Oh, ya – I almost forgot.
GO HAWKS!!!
Sincerely,
Chris Corry
