Washington’s 105-day legislative session ended on time, producing an $80 billion operating budget, a $15.5 billion transportation plan, and nearly $10 billion in new taxes over four years. But Capitol reporters described the session as unusually tense and unpredictable, marked by friction between majority Democrats and new Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson.
Veteran reporters Jerry Cornfield of the Washington State Standard and Jeanie Lindsay, the Olympia correspondent for KUOW and KNKX, cited Ferguson’s opposition to a wealth tax and insistence on more funding for law enforcement as key friction points. Ferguson’s desire for $100 million in police grants was only partially met, while progressive proposals—including wealth and payroll taxes—were abandoned or trimmed. Meanwhile, fees on items like marriage licenses and state park passes added to cost-of-living concerns.
Republicans saw modest wins, including a more limited tax package and a compromise to preserve the Rainier and Yakima Valley schools for people with developmental disabilities. Democratic leaders notched policy victories on housing, special education, and gun safety, while drawing criticism for putting more pressure on local school levies and cutting or delaying programs in early learning and higher ed.
In the second half of Inside Olympia, two Murrow News Fellows—Albert James and Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero—reflected on their first reporting experiences in the capitol press corps. James, who covered the session for TV affiliates in both western and eastern Washington, focused on housing and public safety, including the speed limiter bill for habitual traffic offenders. Romero, writing for the State Standard, covered immigration, labor, and health. Both said the six-month program gave them hands-on legislative experience and allowed them to tell stories overlooked due to cutbacks in local newsrooms across the state.
The Murrow News Fellowship, created by the Legislature and managed by Washington State University, aims to rebuild local political coverage. “It was a fun challenge,” James said. Romero added, “It’s where the intersections of so many issues come together.”