Historic And Necessary: The 2026 Legislative Session
By Richard Burton, State Affiliate Political Organizer
This was a difficult session, marked by the state's revenue challenges and the chaos of the federal administration. More than 1,300 bills were filed this session; fewer than 300 passed.
One of the most-watched bills was, of course, the Millionaire's Tax, which the Governor signed in the last week of March. This tax, on household earnings over $1,000,000 annually, is 9.9% on income over that first million; it is anticipated to bring in $3.5 billion per biennium once it goes into effect in 2029. There are also some excellent provisions for working Washingtonians in the bill, such as an expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit, tax relief for small businesses, free school meals for all Washington students, and a sales tax break on over-the-counter medications, diapers, hygiene, and grooming products. Additionally, 5% of the revenue is dedicated to early learning and childcare funding.
This bill will make some serious strides toward resolving the state’s revenue crisis. While there is still more work to do to create a fair and equitable tax policy, we’ve seen historic moves to progressive revenue in the last two years, and we look forward to continuing this work.
While the Legislature was clear that revenue was the primary problem it was tackling, we did see other wins. The high-demand and nurse educator money was restored, and direct appropriations cuts for the Community and Technical Colleges were limited to administrative cuts only, which should protect programs, staff, and students. Unfortunately, preK-12 took serious cuts, particularly to programs like Transition to Kindergarten and the Local Effort Assistance levy equalization fund; Running Start also took a modest reduction. Our oldest retirees, those on PERS and TRS Plan 1, which does not have an automatic COLA, got a one-time COLA of 3%, and all I-732 employees are receiving a COLA as well.
None of this would be possible without you, the members! It makes an enormous difference for legislators to talk with you directly and know your concerns, and the membership stepped up. We had one of the largest Lobby Days – particularly for a short session – in years! Nearly 80 AFT Washington and AAUP members from 26 different legislative districts came together for Lobby Day. Members had over 75 conversations with legislators, and our priorities were well-shared.
At midday, we rallied with Communities For Our Colleges on the Temple of Justice. Again, our members stepped up; Holly Cousens from AFT Yakima, Local 1485 served as MC, and Jaeney Hoene, AFT Washington’s Vice President for Legislative Affairs and member of Green River CC, Local 2195, was one of the speakers. Due to the rainy weather, the rally broke slightly early to carry out an action in the Capitol Building, where we had a great time chanting loudly in the cavernous echoey confines, especially as a small disreputable band of troublemakers hung home-made banners from the fourth-floor balcony.
Another avenue for members to be heard was through testimony in hearings – several members spoke at hearings on the Millionaire’s Tax and on other issues, and we know that legislators took their statements to heart. Steven Horn, of AFT Everett Higher Education, Local 1873, spoke at the hearing on the Millionaire’s Tax, and beautifully handled a bad-faith question asked by one of the legislators, which added a little spice to an otherwise relatively bland hearing.
We also had members participate powerfully in other committee meetings. Professors Davida Sharpe, Tom Link, E. Phelps (all from Pierce College, local 4821), Farhana Loonat & Claudia Avendaño-Ibarra (from the local and bargaining unit of Skagit Valley College, local 4985), and wonderful ally Rachel Erstad (UW Harry Bridges Center) all provided testimony to the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee. This was a study session focused on the problem of weaponized student complaints targeting faculty and staff from historically under-represented populations. Later in the session, Professors Erin Gibbons, Jean Fallow (both from AFT Seattle, local 1789) and Renee Hernandez-Greenfield (from AFT Tacoma Community College Federation, local 2196), all testified at a work session convened by the House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee regarding the history and chronic need for parity pay for contingent faculty. We also had committee testimony from Helena Ribeiro (AFT Seattle, local 1789) regarding the need for more socially responsible investment policy guiding the Washington State Investment Board.
Throughout the session, we built and strengthened relationships with each other and (re)introduced ourselves to many lawmakers. These are exciting developments but must be sustained with follow-up communication and deepened relationships. The legislative session may be over, but now is the time to start working on next year’s legislative session. And, in the middle of that, we’ve got the midterm elections! There’s a lot of opportunities coming up to make Washington a stronger, better place to live – keep an eye out for ways to get involved.
Join COPE!
By Richard Burton, State Affiliate Political Organizer
We live in extremely urgent political times. Our country is sliding increasingly into autocracy and authoritarianism. We have many allies in stopping the slide, but much work to do! This work fundamentally requires building relationships and coalitions and joining hands together to exert grassroots pressure and demand justice and a more democratic society. We will not achieve the accountable, transparent, just government we want without strengthening our relationships with each other, and standing strong in your union is the first step of that process. There are more steps, such as carefully evaluating candidates running for office and helping the campaigns of those who are aligned with our principles and interests. This latter work is what AFT Washington’s COPE does.
What is COPE? How does it work?
COPE stands for Committee on Political Education. AFT Washington’s COPE is chaired by Mark Gorecki of our Centralia local and is made up of nine other AFT Washington members. This committee works diligently every election cycle to carefully evaluate candidates running for state political positions, such as the state legislature and state supreme court, and to recommend which, if any, deserve to be endorsed by AFT Washington. If our AFT Washington Executive Board agrees with the committee’s recommendations, we provide our endorsement, and sometimes money, to the campaigns of these candidates. When you see our logo on communications from a candidate, it’s because COPE and the Executive Board have agreed that the candidate supports our union values.
Where does the money AFT Washington donates come from?
It does NOT come from member dues. AFT Washington is firmly committed not to use dues money for political donations. Instead, this money comes from our COPE donors – over 250 of them! These voluntary donations are typically not very large; they usually are between $1 and $10 per paycheck. But they add up and provide us with the extremely valuable funds to advance our collective interests. Financial contributions are what help our endorsed candidates win their elections.
Why donate to COPE?
While the state legislature has just wrapped up its 2026 session, we know that the fight for better funding, workers’ rights and more favorable policies for public education must continue. In the 2026 election, we want to elect strong candidates who will prioritize our issues in Olympia. We want to enable our endorsed candidates to have the best possible chance to win. The more COPE donors we have, the more candidates we can support and the stronger we can make our communities and our state! Many members donate at $10 per month, but any amount you can afford is welcome.
I hope you will become a donor today! To donate, please click here.