Washington

Democrats control the governor’s office and both chambers of the Legislature. Governor Bob Ferguson, a former attorney general who spent 12 years suing corporations and the first Trump administration, took office in January 2025. His first session produced immigration protections, a landmark housing investment, and a fight over whether to tax the richest companies on earth.

Washington has no state income tax. That makes every budget cycle a math problem with no easy answer.

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Ferguson told ICE to stop

Governor Ferguson called ICE enforcement actions “un-American” and “outrageous in the extreme” after federal agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minnesota in January 2026. He said he was preparing for the worst-case scenario in Washington.

The Legislature passed SB 5855, which prohibits local, state, and federal officers — including ICE agents — from wearing masks that obscure their identities during enforcement operations. Limited exceptions exist for undercover work and tactical operations. It is the second state in the nation to pass such a law, after California.

The Trump administration cut approximately 30,000 refugees, asylees, and lawfully present immigrants from the federal SNAP food benefit program. Washington responded with $49 million in state food benefits to replace what the federal government took away.

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The state without an income tax hit a wall

Washington faced a $2.3 billion shortfall in the 2025-2027 budget — about 3.5% of total spending. Ferguson proposed a $79.5 billion supplemental operating budget. Democrats balanced it using $880 million from rainy day reserves, one-time transfers, and cuts to child care and education funding.

$2.3 billion budget shortfall in the 2025-2027 cycle

Ferguson proposed a 9.9% income tax on earnings above $1 million. It would be the first income tax in Washington history. Projected revenue starts in 2029 at $3-4 billion per year. That money would fund free school lunches, family tax credits for 460,000 low-income households, and critical services squeezed by federal cuts.

A separate bill targets tech companies with global revenue above $25 billion — meaning Microsoft and Amazon. It would raise the business tax rate from 1.22% to 7.5% and boost the payment cap from $9 million to $75 million. Another proposal adds a payroll tax projected to collect $2 billion per year from the same companies, designed to offset federal funding losses.

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Parks and playgrounds are now gun-free

Washington continued expanding gun restrictions in 2026. Ferguson signed SB 5098, making all playgrounds, parks, amusement parks, and recreational swimming areas gun-free zones. He also signed a landmark bill addressing 3D-printed ghost guns in March 2026.

These laws build on a 2023-2025 stretch that included bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, plus a mandatory permit-to-purchase system. Washington is now one of the most restrictive states in the country for firearms.

Law	Year	What it does
Assault weapons ban	2023	Prohibits sale of semiautomatic assault weapons
High-capacity magazine ban	2023	Bans magazines holding more than 10 rounds
Permit to Purchase	2024	Requires permit before buying a firearm
SB 5098 (Gun-free zones)	2026	Bans guns in parks, playgrounds, pools
Ghost gun regulation	2026	Regulates 3D-printed and unserialized firearms

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The biggest housing investment in state history

Ferguson announced $244 million in housing investments in December — the largest supplemental budget investment in housing Washington has ever made. He signed SB 6026, which requires every city and county with a population above 30,000 to allow housing in areas zoned for commercial or mixed-use development.

$244 million the largest-ever supplemental housing investment in Washington

The governor called housing “a foundation of safety, security, and opportunity.” Additional housing bills signed during the 2026 session target zoning barriers that have blocked construction in growing metro areas.

Washington’s housing push comes as rents in Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane continue to outpace wage growth. The zoning mandate in SB 6026 is one of the most aggressive in the country, forcing dozens of mid-size cities to allow residential construction where only commercial buildings were previously permitted.

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Every House seat is on the ballot

All Washington House seats are up in November 2026. Roughly half of Senate seats are also on the ballot. Democrats are expected to hold both chambers, but margins matter for Ferguson’s income tax proposal and future budget fights.

Ferguson’s first year sets the baseline. If Democrats lose seats, the income tax dies. If they hold or gain, Washington becomes the test case for whether a blue state can tax wealth and survive the political backlash.

The next regular legislative session begins in January 2027. Ferguson’s millionaire income tax would not generate revenue until 2029. That means two more budget cycles of cuts, transfers, and reserve drawdowns before new money arrives — if voters and legislators support it.

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Protect yourself right now

1. Check your voter registration. All House seats and half of Senate seats are on the November ballot. Verify your status at votewa.gov. Washington votes entirely by mail. Your ballot arrives weeks before Election Day.

2. Know your rights during immigration enforcement. Officers must show identification. You do not have to open your door without a warrant signed by a judge. Under SB 5855, enforcement agents cannot wear masks that hide their identity.

3. Confirm your food benefits. If you are a refugee, asylee, or lawfully present immigrant who lost SNAP benefits, contact the Washington Department of Social and Health Services at 1-877-501-2233 to apply for the state replacement program.

4. Contact your state legislators. The income tax, tech company taxes, and housing mandates all need legislative votes. Find your legislators at app.leg.wa.gov. Tell them which of those proposals matters to you.

5. Show up at local zoning meetings. SB 6026 forces cities to allow housing in commercial zones, but implementation happens at the city level. Your city council decides how fast and where new housing gets built.