Transcript Highlights:

• </c> child tax credit, earned income tax child tax credit, earned income tax credit,<02:29:47.359><c>
• So, this is a tax. tax. tax.
• new taxes, this new tax tax these new taxes, this new tax revenue<03:15:18.800><c> program,</c><03:15
• The feds raise taxes. We get more taxes. The feds raise taxes.
• And the courts did find that the purpose of the change was not to raise taxes, and the change that was

Transcript Highlights:

• at local courts.
• Court staff are the core of our juvenile courts.
• Court staff are the core of our Juvenile Court Early Intervention Program.
• Court Judges Association.
• can support court staff.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on proposed substitute House Bill 2289, the House operating budget. Budget staff Mary Monroe gave a detailed overview of the proposal’s near general fund outlook, reserve levels, major revenue assumptions, and major spending and savings items. She highlighted assumed revenue from capital gains and a proposed “millionaires tax,” a transfer from the budget stabilization account, administrative reductions across agencies, and several major policy shifts, including changes affecting Working Connections Child Care, K-12 education, higher education, long-term care, behavioral health, wildfire response, and state employee compensation. Members then asked questions, including about the higher education building account/operating fee swap and its interaction with the capital budget and Climate Commitment Act funds. The committee also announced amendment deadlines for the budget process. The bulk of the meeting was public testimony, with many speakers generally supporting or opposing specific parts of the budget. Supportive testimony praised funding for wildfire prevention, public health, reproductive health, civil legal aid, the Poison Center, some higher education institutions, and certain disability and child welfare services. Many speakers urged restoration or protection of funding for K-12 education, especially transition to kindergarten, local effort assistance, bus depreciation, and Running Start; others opposed cuts to child care, early learning, public defense, long-term care, adult day and home care services, occupational/physical/speech therapy for Medicaid patients, and community and technical colleges. Several local government, health, and nonprofit representatives also asked the committee to preserve public works, homelessness, energy assistance, environmental justice, and recovery/diversion programs, while some business and public safety groups sought continued funding for organized retail crime prevention and related initiatives. No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee recessed briefly and later resumed with virtual testimony, where additional witnesses repeated concerns about education cuts, long-term care, health care access, disability services, dispute resolution, early childhood programs, and the need for ongoing or increased funding in those areas.

Transcript Highlights:

• JLARC are the review of tax preferences.
• As an example, whether or not a tax policy increases state revenue... ...tax policy increases state revenue
• improve the performance of tax preferences.
• That table would evaluate a tax preference statement on four criteria.
• of the tax preference and on the performance metric and the subsequent JLARC... ...on use of the tax

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee met on January 7, 2026, approved the December minutes, and adopted an amended work plan. Staff proposed moving the drug takeback program sunset review up to 2026 and delaying the thermal energy network pilot review to 2028, which would free capacity for new studies. Members also noted bills that would eliminate two recurring JLARC reports, including one on unemployment insurance training benefits and one on lodging tax revenue reporting. The committee then discussed JLARC’s own performance measures and a pilot approach for evaluating tax preference performance statements in fiscal notes. Staff said JLARC will begin surveying members and the full legislature on satisfaction, track invitations to present to other committees, monitor recommendation resolution rates, staff retention, on-time report delivery, peer review results, and national recognition. For tax preference reviews, staff proposed a standard rubric to assess whether performance metrics match policy goals, are measurable, use reliable data, and allow enough time for evaluation; members generally supported the effort. Staff also outlined planned changes to public records reporting, including allowing agencies to opt out of tracking low-volume metrics, targeted outreach to nonreporting agencies, better data validation, clearer online guidance, and a survey of public records officers. The main audit presentation was a preliminary report on ignition interlock device compliance and monitoring. JLARC found that about 41% of drivers required to install devices had done so, with installation rates rising sharply with income; half of affected drivers earned less than $28,000 a year, and the typical annual device cost was about $2,700. Staff said the state’s financial assistance program has limited reach and lacks clear goals, performance measures, and coordination between the Department of Licensing and State Patrol. They recommended that the agencies formalize their roles and develop a coordinated strategy to improve installation rates. State Patrol and Licensing said they support the findings, described recent outreach pilots, and said they would work on a management plan and possible expansion of outreach efforts. JLARC also presented an expedited preliminary report on the drug take-back program’s fee setting and expenditures. Staff concluded that the current fee design limits the Department of Health’s ability to recover oversight costs and that public reporting of oversight expenditures would improve transparency. They recommended that DOH publicly report its oversight activities and that the legislature amend the fee structure to remove the cap tied to program operator expenditures. DOH agreed the current structure does not fully recover costs and said it would support a statutory change. The committee adjourned after noting its next regular meeting is scheduled for April 8, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• rather than in federal court.
• Federal court doesn't have a juvenile program.
• And I do worry, too, about the tax shift.
• Collector collected $17.126 million in local business tax receipts.
• removed from property taxes and also business taxes, funding has to come from somewhere.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Joseph Di Alessandro, the Pledge of Allegiance, and announcements confirming a quorum. Members also adopted the special order report and recognized several guests in the gallery, including former Speaker Dan Webster and law enforcement and civic visitors. The chamber then moved through a long special-order calendar of bills, mostly on third reading, with several measures passing unanimously or by wide margins. Among the bills considered were measures on civil procedure and estates, including C.S. HB 1407 on commencement of civil actions, HB 895 on trustee settlement and discharge, C.S. HB 1337 on estates, HB 131 on curators of estates, and C.S. HB 351 on concurrent legislative jurisdiction over military installations. The House also passed C.S. HB 441 on conservation lands, which would lengthen notice and increase transparency for land swaps involving conservation property, and C.S. CS HB 919 on commercial service airports, which created a statutory definition for major airports and preempted local naming authority for several airports. HB 919 drew extensive debate over the proposed naming of Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald J. Trump, with amendments to delay or alter the naming failing before the bill passed. Other bills approved included HB 409 requiring K-12 schools to observe Veterans Day, CS HB 461 allowing certain students to volunteer at polling places for community service hours, CS HB 1115 creating grants for genetic counseling education, HB 569 revising forensic client services, CS HB 505 regulating virtual currency kiosks to address fraud, and HB 271 on foreign and alien bail bond insurers. The House also passed HB 191 on re-employment assistance eligibility verification after extended questioning about its effects on benefits, appeals, and suitable work standards. One bill, CS HB 243 on electric bicycles, was temporarily postponed, and CS HB 1073 on school districts was also postponed.

Transcript Highlights:

• property taxes?
• or consumption tax, Someone like my counties, when we talk about a sales tax or consumption tax or anything
• Tax Commission, the District Court, and the Western District Court of Appeals.
• If you appeal these to the circuit court or the Court of Appeals, those courts have the ability to award
• Because frankly, the courts, they don't want to be bogged up with a bunch of tax appeal cases that they

Committee: House Special Committee on Property Tax Reform

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill amended our tax laws, and our tax laws need much further amending, and that's why I tried to
• tax exemption for data centers.
• So this fellow was disbarred from multiple federal courts.
• school tax credits.
• HB 2016, tax returns late filing penalties; Finance.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I understand that it prevents a carbon tax. It creates a carbon tax prevention.
• kind of taxes.
• And gas taxes and no other kind of taxes.
• Again, it relates to taxes. There's a lot of tax policy that goes into the tax package.
• It is germane to the tax package.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, I rise today one week after the Supreme Court decision to end the Supreme Court decision to
• Litigators are standing up for our community from local district courts to the Supreme Court.
• That means in nine budget years, 31% of every tax dollar that's paid, every tax dollar it's paid.
• This is income tax. This is, um, payroll taxes. This is, um, tariffs. This is... Taxes.
• So you may have a lower tax rate, but because the A lower tax rate, but because the economy is bigger

Bills: HR1399 , HCR108 , HR1398

Keywords: HCR108, H. Con. Res. 108, War Powers Resolution, Lebanon, Lebanese Armed Forces, U.S. Armed Forces, hostilities, military withdrawal, troop removal, concurrent resolution, Congressional war powers, executive war powers, foreign policy, Middle East, diplomatic facilities, security cooperation, cease hostilities, military engagement, war authorization, non-authorization of force

Transcript Highlights:

• So for the most part, this tax credit, you can currently do up to 50% of your state tax liability.
• I regularly work with tax.
• So for the most car's tax credit, you can currently do up to 50% of your state tax liability.
• I regularly work with tax.
• But there are actually other times that the courts, including the United States Supreme Court, upheld

Committees: House Emerging Issues , House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Transcript Highlights:

• And secondly, my understanding is that Republicans like lower taxes and hate higher taxes.
• Solar farms don't pay property taxes. They're excluded from property taxes. Now, is that fair?
• Power purchase agreements in our tax assessment. So that means that the taxes will go higher.
• being assessed in property taxes.
• You already passed a solar tax exclusion, but now you won't even let us have the tax revenue after the

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 2068 by Bettencourt relates to the Tax Administration for property tax protests and appeals
• judge, court administration training, and the compensation of certain positions.
• statutory probate court in Hidalgo County to Jurisprudence.
• court to Local Government.
• Senate Bill 2158 by Flores relates to taxes imposed on...

Bills: SCR8 , SCR24 , SCR25 , SB1 , SB65 , SB315 , SB371 , SB372 , SB379 , SB400 , SB402 , SB406 , SB427 , SB487 , SB502 , SB509 , SB535 , SB610 , SB707 , SB740 , SB761 , SB840 , SB875 , SB893 , SB918 , SB925 , SB965 , SB987 , SB990 , SB995 , SB1006 , SB1018 , SB1073 , SB1106 , SB1121 , SB1194 , SB1253 , SB1300 , SB1343 , SB1362 , SB1379 , SB1447 , SB1532 , SB1555 , SJR36 , SJR12 , SJR57 , SCR25 , SCR22 , SCR12 , SCR24 , SCR8 , SB565 , SB372 , SB765 , SB62 , SB666 , SB707 , SB888 , SB687 , SB847 , SB1248 , SB740 , SB14 , SB1006 , SB504 , SB925 , SB1121 , SB995 , SB857 , SB305 , SB296 , SB284 , SB815 , SB1379 , SB1300 , SB1497 , SB1499 , SB1498 , SB65 , SB241 , SB304 , SB402 , SB621 , SB1023 , SB1024 , SB1106 , SB686 , SB112 , SB371 , SB204 , SB400 , SB609 , SB1447 , SB670 , SB502 , SB427 , SB850 , SB854 , SB413 , SB1555 , SB1362 , SB1346 , SB1033 , SB1220 , SB1073 , SB810 , SB987 , SB1539 , SB893 , SB447 , SB875 , SB406 , SB509 , SB985 , SB965 , SB1119 , SB1505 , SB24 , SB1194 , SB1253 , SB1215 , SB1532 , SB1302 , SB856 , SB650 , SB583 , SB673 , SB840 , SB213 , SB681 , SB1172 , SB1252 , SB378 , SB610 , SB918 , SB1343 , SB608 , SB487 , SB955 , SB957 , SB988 , SB990 , SB1019 , SB1021 , SB1120 , SB251 , SB958 , SB535 , SB761 , SB1 , SB541 , SB315 , SB379 , SB1018 , SB1737 , SB266 , SB1415 , SB1527 , SB125 , SB599 , SB1330 , SB53 , SB916 , SB896 , SB1352 , SB973 , SB785 , SB710 , SB472 , SB1450 , SB1502 , SB1566 , SB414 , SB1062 , SB1547 , SB961 , SB1038 , SB513 , SB578 , SB711 , SB746 , SB942 , SB1404 , SB1448 , SB1738 , SB108 , SB8 , SB318 , SB507 , SB533 , SB689 , SB1026 , SB1349 , SB1355 , SB1433 , SB1434 , SB1596 , SB1403 , SB1198 , SB1146 , SB763 , SB667

Transcript Highlights:

• The sales tax collected would go into a fund, and then once that fund from local, that sales tax had
• We're still in federal court on it.
• None of them got sued in court.
• None of them got sued in court.
• That's what the court said.

Transcript Highlights:

• President. assembly, representatives of the court, assembly, representatives of the court, and<00:09:
• Okay, I'm not a big fan personally of inheritance taxes or estate taxes.
• </c> beneficiaries who can inherit tax-free. beneficiaries who can inherit tax-free.
• The tax code did that.
• The tax code did that.

Transcript Highlights:

• Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, Court Programs. A645.3. FTE 7.
• Judicial Department, Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, State Courts, Administration, Trial Courts,
• ><c> court</c> and court of appeals appellet court and court of appeals appellet court programs<02:49
• c> programs trial courts trial court programs trial courts trial court programs<02:49:48.720><c> office
• District Court Judge, Denver Juvenile Court Judge, and Denver Probate Court Judge: $23,768 County Court

Transcript Highlights:

• and business taxes and excise taxes.
• tribes at all, or just motor tax, like the motor vehicle tax?
• I'm going to say that states aren't allowed to tax... ...tax.
• As a Navajo Indian living on the Navajo Reservation, the Supreme Court said the state could not tax her
• They had 30% of their tax base was tax exempt. 30% of their tax base was tax exempt, and there were some

Committee: Joint Tribal and State Relations Committee

Summary: The committee met at Spirit Lake Tribe and heard an extended discussion with Spirit Lake tribal leaders and program directors about government-to-government relations with the state. Chairwoman Street and others outlined a number of concerns and requests, including taxation of tribal and trust lands, state school support for non-beneficiary students, homelessness services, Indian-managed health care, gaming/e-tabs, the Feather Alert system, industrial farming near waterways, tourism and cultural issues, and the need for more consistent tribal consultation. Committee members responded that many of these issues had previously been passed along without direct action, and several members emphasized the committee’s role in education, communication, and preparing possible legislation or resolutions for the next session. Tribal representatives also offered to provide training on treaties, IHS 638, and compact services to help legislators better understand tribal jurisdiction and billing issues. A major portion of the meeting focused on Spirit Lake Fish and Wildlife concerns, especially jurisdictional “gray areas” around hunting and fishing on the reservation, recognition of tribal licenses, and the boundary of the reservation around Spirit Lake/Devils Lake. Tribal officials said they wanted a co-stewardship agreement or MOU with the state to clarify jurisdiction, improve cooperation, and address invasive species and aquatic nuisance species. Committee members discussed whether to draft legislation or a resolution directing the executive branch and state agencies to negotiate such an agreement, and they asked for further input from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department at a future meeting. The committee also discussed county involvement in land status changes and trust land issues, with Spirit Lake leaders describing a past Benson County resolution that tried to block fee-to-trust transfers and saying it was later rescinded. The committee then heard from Benson County tax equalization director Randy Thompson, who explained how the county values land and handles tax-exempt, inundated, and fee-to-trust parcels. Members asked about the impact of tax-exempt lands on county services and discussed prior legislation that helped counties with large tax-exempt bases. The committee also received a presentation from Dr. Steven Smith of Sisseton Wahpeton College, who described the college’s programs, economic impact, and funding needs, including support for non-beneficiary students and workforce training. Members asked about expanding tribal college education into correctional settings, and Smith said the idea was worth exploring through the tribal college system. Finally, HHS interim medical services director Christoph Framing presented remotely on 1115 Medicaid waivers and the IMD exclusion, explaining current state funding mechanisms for inpatient and residential behavioral health services and the bill draft directing HHS to pursue a waiver for IMD payments.

Transcript Highlights:

• For sales tax, the bill creates a hunting, fishing, and camping sales tax holiday for specified hunting
• For pari-mutuel taxes and fees, the bill reduces the card room tax from 8% to 5%, reduces the tax on
• It clarifies the order in which tax credits are taken against insurance premium taxes.
• court?
• And they're losing in court.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for two service members killed in the Middle East, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. Members adopted the special order report and then began taking up the special order calendar. The first major measure was HB 7031, the annual tax package, which included a hunting, fishing, and camping sales tax holiday, a back-to-school holiday moved earlier in the summer, property tax changes for mobile home parks and other exemptions, reductions in pari-mutuel taxes and fees, extensions and expansions of several tax credit programs, vacation-rental tax collection changes, and a full decoupling from federal tax changes in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The bill drew questions about the fiscal impact of decoupling and the firearm-accessories holiday; supporters emphasized fiscal caution, housing and home-hardening provisions, and family tax relief, while opponents objected to the firearm-related tax break. HB 7031 passed 105-2. The House then passed CS/CS/CS HB 1177 on Space Florida and spaceport operations, which updates business development rules, board membership, and creates a strategic spaceport hub designation. CS/CS HB 639/CS SB 246 on specialty license plates also passed after a strike-all amendment that added several new plates, revised the Fraternal Order of Police plate, and tightened financial and nonprofit requirements for plate sponsors. CS HB 697 on drug prices and coverage passed after debate on pharmacy benefit manager reforms requiring equal reimbursement, prohibiting forced losses on drugs, and allowing consolidated appeals. CS/CS HB 1263 on the Office of Insurance Regulation passed with an amendment clarifying fingerprinting provisions, and CS/CS HB 527 passed with a human-review requirement for insurance claim denials so AI cannot be the sole basis for denying or reducing claims. Additional bills approved included CS HB 1449, which limits use of the statewide provider and health plan claim dispute resolution program when a claim is already in the federal process and, by amendment, narrows the bill to out-of-network emergency services and claims of $50,000 or less; CS HB 93, requiring surgical smoke evacuation systems in hospitals and surgical centers, which passed overwhelmingly after emotional bipartisan praise for the sponsor’s multi-session effort; and CS HB 1217, which prohibits governmental entities from adopting net-zero greenhouse gas policies, after Democrats argued it would preempt local climate and resilience efforts and Republicans argued it protects energy reliability and affordability. The House also passed CS/CS HB 1461 establishing a framework for licensing and regulating advanced nuclear reactors, with supporters framing it as a step toward reliable, affordable, cleaner energy. Later, CS HB 1229 on residential homes for medically or technologically dependent children was explained as creating a licensure program for medically complex children’s homes and was rolled over for final passage as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 805, Income Tax Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit Alterations. Favorable.
• House Bill 139, Sales and Use Tax Tax-Free Day — Veterans Day. Amendment number one.
• </c> or the federal courts of this nation. or the federal courts of this nation.
• lower court ruling stands.
• lower court ruling stands.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Supreme Court has recognized the possibility of that.
• clearly imposes... tax increase, but this clearly imposes district tax their ability to raise half a
• And you are insisting that's not a tax.
• It is not a tax, but you are authorizing the ability to tax that amount, half a percent above the cap
• In fact, this is not directly increasing the tax, but however, this bill is authorizing to tax more.

Committee: Senate Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I called Labor and Labor sent me over to tax and tax sent me over at this place, and I just called
• To be tackled sort of at the Supreme Court or the circuit court level on a myriad of topics.
• taxes, That when property is sold over taxes, over the price of taxes, the original landowner can apply
• You would send equivalent of the tax dollar, the tax amount to the county.
• above and beyond the tax.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the prior meeting, and heard budget presentations from the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the State Auditor. The Secretary of State’s office described its FY27 budget, emphasizing efficiency gains from technology, election security work, and business services. It said it is operating with fewer staff than a decade ago, but rising costs and outdated statutory fees are creating deficits in service of process and other operations. The office asked the committee to consider either increasing fees or allowing it to retain a larger share of business-service revenue, and it also proposed creating an Office of Entrepreneurship to help small businesses navigate state government, grants, permits, and related services. Committee members questioned the Secretary of State’s office about fee increases, the current 50-50 split of certain revenues with general revenue, and whether the proposed entrepreneurship office would duplicate existing services. The office said it would complement, not replace, Commerce, SBDC, or grant programs, and would report metrics and policy recommendations to the legislature. The Attorney General then requested a one-time $2 million special revenue appropriation to hire additional lawyers and support staff, citing increased litigation, federal and state legal work, and the need to defend new laws. He also discussed embedded DMV lawyers handling DUI revocation hearings and said the arrangement costs the office just over $200,000. The State Auditor reported that his office is largely self-funded through special revenue and said he wants to reduce reliance on general revenue over time. He highlighted savings from renegotiated leases and an open government contract, discussed the need for more auditors in the Chief Inspector’s Division, and described fraud recovery and P-card operations. A major topic was delinquent land sales: the auditor said the office sold about 17,000 parcels last year and believes online bidding and better marketing could generate substantially more revenue, with the surplus potentially shared among counties, the state, and other programs. Members also asked about securities fee changes, fairness hearings, fire department audits, IT/cybersecurity, and how surplus proceeds from delinquent land sales should be handled. The committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know they'll hail it as a higher-earnings tax, but as I read it, this is a tax that starts with a certain
• reductions of regressive taxes currently in place in Washington, almost no tax reduction of any means
• But, you know, while this one is framed as a tax on millionaires, it's only a tax on millionaires this
• sales tax or targeting exemptions like sales tax on diapers or sales tax on prepared food.
• to the solid waste tax.

Summary: Senate and House Republican leaders used the media availability to focus heavily on affordability and to criticize a newly unveiled Democratic income tax proposal. Leaders John Braun, Drew Stokesbary, and others argued the bill would function as a broader income tax, harm small and medium-sized businesses, include a marriage penalty, deny loss carryforwards, and ultimately raise costs for Washington residents. They also said the proposal would do little to offset regressive taxes and would not meaningfully improve affordability. In response to questions, they said the bill was a non-starter for Republicans and warned it could contribute to business and household outmigration. Republicans also highlighted a range of other bills they said would increase costs or worsen public safety, including proposals related to insurance, tires and 6PPD, textiles, local taxes, social media, cigarettes, and solid waste. They criticized housing-related bills on homelessness and camping near schools and parks, saying they could limit local control and expose cities to lawsuits. On public safety, they said Democratic leaders were not advancing Republican-backed bills on sexually violent predators, family safety, and related issues. Braun also said his bill on oversight of NGOs and suspected fraud had a good hearing and remained a priority, while Republicans said they were watching fraud-related bills and a SNAP-related bill on restricting purchases of unhealthy foods. The leaders said they were holding listening sessions on the initiatives because they believe the legislature must give them precedence, and they said they invited both supporters and opponents to participate. They also discussed Senate Bill 602 on automated license plate readers, saying it had bipartisan support in committee but still faced concerns from cities, counties, and law enforcement. On the governor’s statement that he could not support the income tax proposal as written, Republicans said it showed there may be room for negotiation within the Democratic side, but they doubted Republicans would be included in those talks. No votes were taken during the media availability.