With this time in the Governor's Mansion coming to an end, Gov. Jay Inslee declared Tuesday that “the state of our state is stronger than ever” before a joint session of the Washington Legislature.
The speech outlined many of Inslee’s perceived successes while in office, including increased wages and economic output, a plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2050 and investments in green energy production. He called for additional education funding and money to address a rise in opioid usage.
“In an era of tremendous transition and change, Washington has emerged as a beacon of progress in this nation,” Inslee said. “This year, we are going to make sure that light shines brighter.”
The legislature convened for a 60-day session on Monday and will adjourn on March 7.
response, Senate Deputy Minority Floor Leader Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, said the state must improve public safety and affordability and increase funding for educational programs following pandemic-era restrictions.
“Everyday life in our state is less affordable, with the price of fuel artificially higher than our neighbors due to the governor’s risky cap and tax scheme,” Torres said. “The so-called Climate Commitment Act does a lot to raise money for government, but nearly nothing to improve our environment or fix our roads.”
Torres said Washington's government is “failing our youth” and called for additional funding for tutoring, special education and other programs to aid students.
“We must set aside politics and the influence of special interests to do what is right for the health, safety and happiness of children around our state,” Torres said.
During a legislative media availability following the speech, House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary,R-Auburn, said Inslee’s record was “on trial” during his final legislative session.
“I don’t think it’s a particularly good record,” Stokesbary said, citing an uptick in crime throughout the state. “He said the state of our state is stronger than ever. I think the statistics bely that, quite clearly.”
During media availability, Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig said the “theme for this session would be continuing the progress of the last several years.”
“With a particular focus on housing, and behavioral health and childcare,” Billig said. “And I think you’ll see those themes and those priorities show up in the bills that are having hearings in this first week.”
Local lawmakers react
Following the address, lawmakers throughout Southwest Washington panned the speech and cited upticks in crime and an increased cost of living.
“We’re focused on the things that we hear from people in our district, and they really haven’t changed because we really haven't solved the problem that most people are struggling with, it’s public safety,” Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, said at a post-speech press conference. “We are breaking records, but not in a good way. We continue to break our homicide record. We continue to break records when it comes to property crime, retail theft, automobile theft. We’re headed in the wrong direction.”
Additionally, Braun said “affordability” would be a priority for Republican legislators.
“This cuts across many areas. Whether it’s food or gas, housing, childcare, healthcare, these are all increasingly unaffordable for the working Washingtonian across the state, and they’re getting worse,” Braun said.
In a statement, Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, said the state needs “real solutions, not platitudes.” Walsh called on the state to return to a reasonable suspicion standard for officers, the restoration of pre-reform police pursuit policies and the repeal of the Climate Commitment Act.
“This bad policy is hurting working people and families in this state. The governor's farewell speech was full of loose talk of reducing pollution when, in fact, carbon pollution has gotten worse in this state during his term,” Walsh said. “Failed schemes like the 'Climate Commitment Act' don't do anything real to reduce pollution. The people of Washington deserve more. "
Likewise, Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, said residents “are owed real solutions and policies that fix Washington.”
“The governor’s state of the state address ignored many of his decade-long failures that his legislative Democratic majority have made worse,” said Abbarno, who delivered the Republican response in 2023. “Like a skipping record, the state of Washington heard the governor’s same broken promises.”
A constitutional amendment seems unlikely
During his final State of the State address, Inslee called for a constitutional amendment to “enshrine reproductive freedom in the constitution this session.”
“Most in this room are committed to protecting that right, but none of us will hold these seats forever,” Inslee said. “We must face the reality that there are forces in our nation and in our own state intent on destroying the right of choice.”
The call for a constitutional amendment would require two-thirds approval of both chambers, something Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, and Billig, said would have unanimous support in their respective caucus.
“We have done a lot to protect women in this state without a constitutional amendment,” Jinkins said, pointing to a rise in women from states who travel to Washington for the procedure.
Despite a short session, Billig said the Senate has both the time and bandwidth to pass the amendment before the Legislature adjourns on March 8.
“I’ve not heard a single member in the Republican Caucus say that they would,” Jinkins said.
If both chambers adopted the amendment this session, a majority of voters would also need to vote to approve the amendment.
At least seven Republican members of the House of Representatives and four Republican Senators would need to approve the amendment for it to pass. Following Inslee’s address, Stokesbary said the amendment would be “superfluous.”
“Abortion rights are not under threat in Washington,” Stokesbary said. “The only people saying they are are Democrats who think it’s politically advantageous for them to do so. I don’t have any members in my caucus who are looking to run bills to curtail a woman’s right to choose, and I don’t anticipate that changing in the next 60 days.”
