Jan. 31, 2026
A highlight of each legislative session is the visit by the people who keep the Washington State Penitentiary running — members of Teamsters Local 117. The challenge is finding a good place for a photo! This year we gathered at the front of the Senate chamber, with me in the back where the lieutenant governor usually stands when presiding over the Senate.
Dear Neighbors,
A bill has to clear many hurdles in Olympia before it can become law. When legislation is introduced, it’s referred to a committee based on the topic — but nothing is for certain after that. Getting a bill through the process isn’t easy, nor should it be.
By the end of next Wednesday we will know which bills have made it past the very first milestone. That’s the deadline for Senate policy committees to act on the bills sent to them. Some will move forward, but more will fall short and be considered “dead.”
One of my bills (SB 5831, having to do with mortgages) has already received approval from our Business, Trade and Economic Development committee. I have about a half-dozen more bills in play, including three before our K-12 education committee. Keep reading for information about the pair related to my work to keep the Prescott School District open.
Legislators have two citizen initiatives to consider,
but we may not get to see them
I reported to you a week ago how a new initiative to restore the parents’ bill of rights regarding our K-12 schools had been certified by the secretary of state’s office. This week a second measure got the green light and has also been filed as legislation.
It’s IL26-638 and is titled “defending equity in interscholastic sports.” The measure basically has to do with who can play girls’ or women’s sports and use a girls’ or women’s locker room. The text is here.
There are two kinds of voter initiatives in Washington. One is “to the people” and goes straight to the general-election ballot. The second is “to the legislature” and comes to us like a bill, except it doesn’t have a Senate or House bill number — and the people of Washington are listed as the sponsor.
We can pass it like any other legislation, as long as no changes are made from what the people submitted. Or, legislators can offer changes in the form of an alternative measure — in which case both the original and the alternative go on the ballot for voters to consider. The third option is to let the initiative go on through to the ballot.
There’s one more wrinkle: Washington’s constitution clearly states initiatives to the legislature are supposed to be considered ahead of all other bills except budget bills. However, the majority Democrats have indicated they won’t touch either initiative — not even a committee hearing. They haven’t explained why, but it’s disappointing.
The people deserve an opportunity to speak to us for or against IL26-638 and the parents’ rights initiative, IL26-001 (the text is here). In place of a public hearing, we’re looking to hold a public listening session and are seeing what’s possible. Stay tuned, because if we can get the logistics worked out that meeting may happen as soon as this coming week. We want your voice to be heard!
My bipartisan bill to improve the financial management of school districts is scheduled for a committee vote next week. I testified in support of SB 6247 on Tuesday during its public hearing.
Education committee to vote on my bills inspired by local school district’s situation
My efforts to improve education policy in our state, based on lessons learned from our local Prescott School District, are moving forward in the Senate committee on K-12 education.
- Senate Bill 6247 is about creating what amounts to an early-warning system regarding a school district’s finances, so another district doesn’t fall victim to the issues that have put the Prescott district into financial insolvency. It is to come back before the K-12 committee for a vote Wednesday.
- Senate Bill 6065 would clarify the policy that allows school districts to make interfund loans in response to specific financial issues. This would help Prescott now but could also benefit other districts in the future. it’s scheduled for a K-12 committee vote Tuesday.
For more on SB 6247 see this report in the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin; click here for my assessment (also published in the U-B) of a recent meeting between concerned Prescott residents and our state’s superintendent of public instruction.
No-mask bill passes Senate, but it won’t have intended effect
Our first extended debate in the Senate chamber this session took place Wednesday, on Senate Bill 5855. It would prohibit law-enforcement officers at all levels from wearing certain kinds of face coverings.
I know many people are upset with how the federal government is attempting to enforce immigration-related laws. The widely seen videos of fatal encounters involving protesters and federal officers in Minnesota are disturbing. The circumstances surrounding those deaths should be fully and impartially investigated.
However, there’s a reason the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is commonly known as the “supremacy clause.” It basically means federal law prevails over state law.
We know there are legislators in Olympia who want to see the Snake River dams taken out but realize they have no authority over those federal facilities. The same goes when it comes to federal law-enforcement officers: lawmakers here can’t tell the feds which laws to enforce, or what to wear when doing their jobs.
That means the real effect of SB 5855 would fall on state and local law-enforcement officers — and during the debate, the bill’s supporters acknowledged there are no reports of state or local officers covering their faces the same way federal officers are.
The bill passed 30-19, but even if the House follows suit, the new law won’t have the intended effect.
While we wait on majority’s income-tax bill, other tax increases are being proposed
Democrat leaders in Olympia have been talking for weeks about their plan to approve a state income tax while we are in session. However, the initial deadline for budget committees to consider legislation is coming up Feb. 9, and no income-tax bill has yet been filed.
In the meantime, other tax proposals are emerging. This week our Senate Republican budget-policy expert assembled a list of the 35-plus tax proposals that are already on the table, in the Senate alone.
Here are some examples that have yet to be in the spotlight (not mentioned are proposed increases in the property tax, a new “jobs” tax and the tax on innovation that targets the tech industry in our state):
- SB 6280: tax on smoking cessation products (nicotine pouches)
- SB 6129: tax increase on tobacco/nicotine products (examples; tax increases to $5/pack for cigarettes, from current $3/pack, and $5.50/pack for flavored cigarettes)
- SB 5762: cellphone tax (doubles the monthly 988 tax per line)
- SB 5502: bottle tax (10-cent refundable fee on beverage containers)
- SB 5576: tax on short-term rentals
- SB 5791: increased business-tax on service providers
- SB 6228: tax increase on prescription drugs (warehousing/reselling)
- SB 6231: tax increase for replacing data-center equipment
- SB 6229: expansion of capital-gains tax
As a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee I expect many of these will come before our committee for public hearings and votes.The question is, how can our Democratic colleagues say they’re concerned about affordability when proposing so many ways to make living in our state more expensive?
Phoenix Miller is the first of the students I will sponsor as Senate pages this session. He’s the 14-year-old son of Jessica Andrews and Patrick Miller of West Richland, and attends Enterprise Middle School. Thanks, Phoenix — I hope you had a great week with us and learned a lot about state government!
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I am working to make living in our state more affordable, make our communities safer, uphold our paramount duty to provide for schools, and hold state government accountable. I’ll work with anyone who shares those goals and wants to find solutions.
Please reach out to my office with your thoughts, ideas and concerns on matters of importance to you. I am here to serve and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Perry Dozier
State Senator
16th Legislative District
EMAIL: Perry.Dozier@leg.wa.gov
OLYMPIA PHONE: (360) 786-7630
OLYMPIA OFFICE: 342 Irving R. Newhouse Building
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 40416, Olympia, WA 98504