OLYMPIA — Throughout his mid-January inaugural tackle, Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson gave shout-outs to a number of payments, together with some by Republicans.
The 2025 common legislative session ended on April 27. Scores of payments and the state’s beleaguered working price range had been adopted forward of adjournment.
So, which Ferguson-endorsed payments did — and didn’t — land on his desk?
Requested about his priorities after a bill-signing April 28, Ferguson mentioned he feels “very positive” about what number of the Washington Legislature handed. And he appears ahead to refocusing on the objects that didn’t make it previous the end line in a while.
“No one bats 1,000 in this world,” Ferguson mentioned. “So I felt we really worked well together as a Legislature.”
Ferguson famous that, as a brand new governor, lawmakers needed to get used to him and vice versa. Over time that relationship improved, he mentioned.
However there have been main challenges this session, too, he mentioned. The state was grappling with a major price range shortfall, and lawmakers mourned the losses of state Sen. Invoice Ramos, former Home Speaker Frank Chopp, former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, and the spouse of Republican state Sen. Chris Gildon, Autumn.
“I mean, there was a lot going on this session, even beyond the difficult work,” Ferguson mentioned. “And so I appreciate everybody leaning into it.”
Right here’s how a few of Ferguson’s key points fared this session.
Throughout his inaugural tackle, Ferguson name-checked state Rep. April Connors, a Kennewick Republican, and her “Homes for Heroes” invoice. The governor underscored the contributions of firefighters, regulation enforcement officers, behavioral-health staff and different public servants, and argued that they need to have entry to low-interest loans when shopping for their first dwelling.
Home Invoice 1022 was handed by the Home Committee on Housing in mid-January however stalled out in one other committee not lengthy after and by no means made it to the Home ground.
State Rep. Tom Dent, a Moses Lake Republican, sponsored laws aimed toward making certain farmers obtain the gasoline exemptions they’d been assured below the Local weather Dedication Act. Ferguson mentioned throughout his inaugural speech that he shares Dent’s dedication to backing Washington’s farmers.
HB 1912 was handed and despatched to Ferguson April 26 and can quickly develop into regulation.
The governor thanked Democratic state Reps. Sharon Tomiko Santos of Seattle and Lisa Callan of Issaquah throughout his Jan. 15 tackle, emphasizing their work on bettering youth psychological well being.
Callan’s HB 1272 extends a program that assists in linking weak younger folks to essential providers and dwelling preparations. Ferguson signed the invoice into regulation April 25.
Governor’s emergency powers
Ferguson on Jan. 15 acknowledged Senate Minority Chief John Braun of Centralia, saying he hoped to work with the Republican to impose affordable restrictions on the governor’s emergency powers. “We can do that together,” Ferguson mentioned.
State Rep. Keith Wagoner, a Sedro Woolley Republican, sponsored such a invoice, nevertheless it sputtered out after clearing the Senate Committee on State Authorities, Tribal Affairs and Elections. In March, Ferguson pledged to restrict his personal emergency authority following the invoice’s obvious collapse, as reported by the Washington State Normal.
Automated acceptance to state establishments
Ferguson highlighted a invoice by state Rep. Julia Reed, a Seattle Democrat, throughout his Jan. 15 speech.
“Representative Reed: Your proposal to ensure that every Washingtonian with a 3.0 GPA receives automatic acceptance into many of our exceptional state institutions of higher education should be adopted by this Legislature,” he mentioned. “And I look forward to signing it.”
HB 1557, which might have established the Washington Assured Admissions Program, handed one Home committee earlier than getting caught in one other.
$100 million for police hiring
Washington ranks final within the variety of regulation enforcement officers per capita, a stat that Ferguson cited throughout his inauguration. He thanked state Sen. Jeff Holy, a Cheney Republican, for a invoice proposing a $100 million grant program to assist rent extra police.
However Senate Invoice 5060 isn’t what in the end made it to Ferguson.
The car for the $100-million-for-law-enforcement request was enshrined in Home Invoice 2015 by state Rep. Debra Entenman, a Kent Democrat. It goals to enhance public security funding by offering sources to native governments and felony justice companies. It additionally authorizes a neighborhood choice tax for these functions.
That was delivered to the governor April 25 however has but to be signed.
Barring different states’ Nationwide Guards
A Ferguson precedence that was realized this session: state Rep. Sharlett Mena’s Home Invoice 1321. The governor famous that the Tacoma Democrat’s proposal goals to cease different states’ militias from coming into Washington to impose any president’s agenda.
The regulation took speedy impact April 21. Ferguson mentioned on the invoice signing that it’s modeled after an identical measure in Idaho.
“We just cannot allow as a state to have armed forces come into our home and enforce policies that are against our core values,” Ferguson mentioned.
Common free faculty meals
A bipartisan push to make sure common free meals for the state’s Ok-12 college students didn’t attain Ferguson, who’d requested such a measure.
State Sen. Marcus Riccelli of Spokane and Rep. April Berg of Mill Creek — each Democrats — spearheaded the trouble of their respective chambers. Every invoice acquired public hearings however neither obtained a committee vote.
