OLYMPIA… The Legislature tonight unanimously passed the 2025-27 state supplemental capital budget following an agreement earlier this week by Senate and House negotiators on a final budget plan. The Senate voted 49-0 to pass the budget after the House approved it 96-0.
Two eastern Washington Republican senators who helped develop the spending plan applauded it for addressing needs on both sides of the Cascades.
“This capital budget passed by the Legislature is truly a bipartisan package that takes a statewide approach in addressing needs,” said 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, the lead Republican for the Senate capital budget. “This budget does a very good job for several areas, from K-12 and higher education to water infrastructure, agriculture, housing and flood response.”
“I’m pleased that this budget provides strong funding for water-infrastructure projects on both sides of Washington. The House capital budget had no water projects, so it’s good that we preserved the water projects that were in the Senate capital budget. The final capital budget also funds many small-school modernization projects throughout our state. During negotiations with the House, we insisted on these small-school projects in the budget,” added Schoesler, who commended the Senate capital budget team on developing a solid and prudent budget, especially his Democratic counterpart, Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma.
“This budget is an example of making a good thing better. It builds on the very solid capital budget approved in 2025 by accommodating the unforeseen needs that we knew would emerge in the months since then,” said 16th District Sen. Perry Dozier, who is in his second year as assistant Republican leader on the capital budget. “As our bipartisan Senate team negotiated this final version with the House, we held firm to our positions on critical areas like water infrastructure and support for small school districts – and to me that had a lot to do with the unanimous vote in the Senate today.
“Although people understandably think of construction when it comes to the capital budget, the natural-resources part is also important. That’s where the water projects come in, and this year I’m very pleased that the House agreed with allocating $3.2 million toward the problem of waste tires. Being able to respond to community needs like dealing with that massive tire pile outside Richland is why working on this budget is one of the most uplifting things I get to do as a lawmaker,” added Dozier, R-Waitsburg.
The supplemental capital budget (Senate Bill 6003) totals $889 million. It follows up the $7.5 billion 2025-27 state capital budget enacted last year. The new budget addresses a wide range of needs throughout Washington, with funding for projects related to K-12 and higher education, water infrastructure, flood responses, housing and clean energy.
The revised capital budget provides over $71 million for the Small District and State-Tribal Education Compact (STEC) Schools Modernization Program. The budget also includes:
- $21.2 million for the school construction assistance program (SCAP).
- $13.9 million in new spending for school seismic safety grants.
- $5.4 million for projects for distressed schools.
- $3.78 million for a SCAP enhancement program pilot project.
- $2.5 million for Healthy Kids-Healthy Schools to fund grants to support lead remediation.
- $430,000 for school seismic-safety site class assessments.
Four-year universities and other higher-education institutions benefit from the capital budget. Several Washington State University projects receive funding:
- Preserving and improving campus facilities ($6 million).
- Cooling and electrical upgrades to Ensminger Pavilion ($1.5 million).
- Spokane Team Health Education Building renovation ($7 million).
- WSU Creamery lighting and equipment replacement ($1 million).
- Virtual fencing grants to enhance climate resiliency ($500,000).
Central Washington University receives money for its electrical feeder line to support the growth of campus and geothermal energy. Capital budget funding goes to Eastern Washington University for projects to preserve and improve campus facilities, as well as to Western Washington University for preventative maintenance for building-system repairs and for projects to preserve and improve campus facilities.
In addition, several campuses in the state’s community and technical college system receive funding for projects, including:
- Cascadia College – CC5 Gateway Building.
- Lower Columbia College – David Story Field improvements.
- Spokane Community College – renovation of the east wing of its Main Building.
Schoesler and Dozier, both farmers, noted the updated capital budget funds agricultural projects, including:
- $10 million for cost-share agreements with dairy-farm owners for anaerobic digester development and maintenance projects.
- $4.6 million for grants to farmers to buy climate-smart agricultural equipment to reduce on-farm carbon emissions and increase carbon sequestration.
- $2.2 million for the design of a new Washington State Department of Agriculture Plant Services Lab at Washington State University’s Prosser campus.
- $400,000 for WSU’s soil health research infrastructure, specifically its long-term agroecological research and extension sites (LTARE).
The supplemental capital budget funds water-infrastructure projects on both sides of the Cascades. Those appropriations include $8.977 million for several water-conservation projects across the state, including:
- Kennewick Irrigation District main canal lining.
- Kittitas Reclamation District South.
- Mill Creek passage, Walla Walla – 3rd to Colville.
- Roza Canal floor replacement.
- Roza Canal sealing project.
- Touchet River mile 42.
- Waynita Creek restoration.
- Water system efficiency leak detection and repairs.
About $16.1 million is allocated for many local water-infrastructure projects in both western and eastern Washington, including the Chehalis River irrigation project, Othello water supply, Scatter Creek irrigation and pipeline projects, Skagit District 15 irrigation project and Skookumchuck River irrigation fish screen and water conservation projects.
The supplemental capital budget provides funding for disaster and response to the December 2025 floods, including:
- $3.1 million for grants to counties for the removal of debris in rivers and other waterways.
- $2 million for grants to six counties (King, Lewis, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom) to evaluate the counties’ risks and needs for flood response, preparedness and prevention.
The capital budget provides money for law-enforcement projects, including:
- Over $1 million for Pasco Regional Police Academy improvements.
- $350,000 for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission’s Burien Campus indoor shooting range.
- $252,000 for the Criminal Justice Training Commission’s ADA upgrades at the Burien Campus.
The natural resources section of the updated capital budget includes:
- $3.5 million for small, family-forest landowners to replace and remove stream-crossing structures, such as culverts, to improve fish passage for salmon, trout and other fish.
- $3.2 million to address tire-pile prevention and cleanup, including removing the Twin Bridges Road tire-pile site near Richland.
- $630,000 for a new welcome center and stormwater drainage improvements at Millersylvania State Park.
The supplemental capital budget spends $200 million for housing and homelessness, with $123.3 million allocated from the Housing Trust Fund for housing projects in both western and eastern Washington.
Over $30 million in funding is provided for about 120 new local and community projects.
The 2026 legislative session is scheduled to end tonight.