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As the 2026 legislative session came to a close last week, lawmakers approved three supplemental budgets that will shape state spending over the next year: the operating budget, the transportation budget, and the capital budget. Each plays a different role in funding state government, infrastructure, and community projects. While there were some positive investments for our region, there were also serious concerns about spending priorities and missed opportunities to address the affordability challenges families are facing across Washington.
Operating budget concerns
“After $80 billion in spending, you would think something would get cheaper. It didn’t.”
The Legislature approved an operating budget of more than $80 billion, continuing a decade-long trend of growing government faster than families’ ability to pay for it.
This budget relies on revenue that is far from certain, including a new income tax and a multi-billion-dollar raid on pension funds. It also drains hundreds of millions from reserves and shifts money between accounts to make the numbers look balanced.
And what do Washington families get in return? Cuts to services people rely on, including schools, health care, child care, and long-term care. Rural communities will feel those impacts first and hardest.
Families in our district are paying more for groceries, fuel, housing, and child care. This budget doesn’t fix that. It asks them to pay more, while getting less, and calls it progress.
Transportation investments for our communities
“Investing in the roads and infrastructure people rely on every day is one of the most important responsibilities we have.”
The supplemental transportation budget continues important work across the state, focusing on maintenance, preservation, and keeping projects already underway moving forward. Prioritizing these core responsibilities helps ensure our transportation system remains safe, reliable, and able to support growing communities.
This budget supports critical paving work, ongoing infrastructure improvements, and long-term needs like bridge preservation. It reflects a practical approach that focuses on taking care of what we have while continuing progress on projects communities have been waiting on.
Strong transportation infrastructure is essential not just for daily travel, but for economic development, public safety, and keeping goods moving across our region. These investments help support local economies and ensure families and businesses can stay connected.
While the final agreement includes some additional bonding, which I believe should be approached carefully, the overall budget keeps the focus where it belongs – on maintaining and improving the infrastructure people depend on every day.
Capital budget investments in our district
“These are real investments in the people, infrastructure, and future of the Yakima Valley.”
The supplemental capital budget invests about $890 million statewide in construction and infrastructure, including schools, water systems, housing, and community facilities. This is one area where lawmakers often come together to deliver meaningful results.
In the 15th District, with the help of my seatmate, Rep. Jeremie Dufault, we were able to secure more than $7.6 million for projects that directly benefit our communities. That includes critical repairs to the Roza Canal, which supports irrigation for our farmers, and funding for a new Washington State Department of Agriculture Plant Services Lab to replace an outdated facility that plays a key role in protecting our crops.
Other investments support public safety, domestic violence services, and community infrastructure, including improvements tied to the YWCA facility and local projects that serve families and young people.
These are the kinds of practical investments that strengthen communities, support agriculture, and help ensure the Yakima Valley remains a place where working families can live, work, and thrive.
The 24-hour fight over a state income tax
“The way the bill was written, it is an income tax on all of us with a certain exemption for high earners.”
One of the most significant moments of the session came during a 24-hour floor debate over legislation to create a state income tax.
House Republicans fought hard against the proposal, offering amendments to lower costs for working families, protect small businesses, and ensure voters would have a direct say. Every one of those efforts was rejected.
The bill ultimately passed despite serious concerns about affordability, fairness, and constitutionality. Washington voters have rejected income taxes many times, and a change this significant should not happen without their approval.
Keep an eye on this as Democrats seek to lower this threshold in the future to cover their backs as they continue to grow our bloated government. As I continually remind you, our state’s operating budget has more than doubled in the past 10 years. How many of you have seen your take-home pay double in the last decade? And, do you feel you’re getting your money’s worth for the taxes you send to Olympia?
Missed opportunities this session
“Too many chances to help working families were left on the table this year.”
Despite the challenges families are facing, the Legislature did not pass meaningful policies to make housing or child care more affordable. We also failed to bring government spending back in line with reality, which means we will likely face another budget shortfall next year.
Lawmakers did not act on initiatives to protect girls’ sports or strengthen parental rights, leaving those decisions unresolved. If you recall, they even refused to hold public hearings on the initiatives. In response, House and Senate Republicans held “listening sessions” ( we weren’t allowed to hold official “public hearings” on the measures) so the public could have a say, both for and against.
Public safety was another missed opportunity. We did not pass legislation that would meaningfully address violent crime or hold repeat offenders accountable. Instead, the focus remained on expanding government systems rather than strengthening community safety.
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to stay engaged this session, whether by reading these updates or reaching out to share your thoughts.
It is an honor to represent you. Your input makes a difference, and I will continue working to bring your voice to Olympia and fight for the priorities that help make life more affordable, our communities more safe, and our state government more accountable and responsible to the taxpayers who foot the bill.
Sincerely,
Chris Corry
