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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We’ve passed the halfway mark in the 2025 legislative session where the entire House spent the last 10 days debating and voting on legislation. I’ve now had the unique experience of working through the night and into the early morning hours, nearly watching the sun come up. It has been both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time! I also had my first bill pass the state House! Read on for more information.
Despite our best efforts, and countless hours offering amendments and making the case for our Northeast Washington principles and priorities, several bad bills passed the House and, unfortunately, several good bills were killed. While going through and listing each one would be a laborious exercise on your part and mine, here are a few important developments:
- Property tax increases—House Bill 1334 could triple property tax rates. It would lift the 1% annual property tax increase limit voters set through Initiative 747 in 2001 and allow yearly tax increases of up to 3%. This would make housing in Washington more unaffordable. This bill did not pass the House, but could be implemented into the state operating budget in a few weeks.
- Early release from prison — House Bill 1125 would allow convicted felons to petition for sentence reductions. The bill would give judges broad discretion to reduce sentences for offenders who claim rehabilitation, potentially allowing those convicted of crimes to be released far earlier than initially intended. We were able to kill this bill for now. However, it will be back next year.
- Parental rights — House Bill 1296 would wipe out parental rights protections supported by 450,000 Washingtonians through Initiative 2081 and passed last year by the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill would shut parents out of information, such as curriculum access, school records, and medical or counseling details. One of its most ardent supporters, Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, recently told reporters:
- “Young women have, if they’re old enough to get pregnant, they’re old enough to make their own decisions about what happens with their bodies. And parents do not have the right to change that, or make a different decision, or be notified in advance.”
- Despite fighting this bill for over 6 hours with nearly 50 amendments, the Democrats passed it with NO Republican support. The Senate also passed its version of the measure, Senate Bill 5181. Democrats seem intent on dividing parents from our children.
- Road usage charge — House Bill 1921 would implement a 2.6-cent-per-mile road usage charge for highway maintenance and preservation. This would be on top of the current state gas tax, essentially creating a double tax on drivers. An additional assessment (10% of the road usage charge) would be allocated to rail, bicycle, pedestrian, and public transit projects. Nearly 20,000 people signed in against the bill during a public hearing on Feb. 13. While this bill did NOT pass the House, some form of it could be implemented into the final transportation budget in a few weeks.
- Gun bills — A lengthy list of gun bills has been proposed. One that passed is House Bill 1163, the “permit to purchase” bill. This bill requires gun buyers to apply for a 5-year permit to purchase a firearm, which would require proof of a gun safety course within the last five years, submission of fingerprints, and a lengthy and detailed background check. As we know, criminals don’t obey current laws. The expectation they will obey gun restriction laws is both ludicrous and disingenuous.
- Rep. Andrew Engell and I sent out an email right before the debate, which went into the early hours of the next morning. I know some of you watched the debate because our YouTube livestream went way up shortly after we sent that action alert. Thank you! You can watch my floor speech fighting against this bill here.
- Additional gun bills: House Bill 1132 would limit the number of guns and ammunition you could purchase, and House Bill 1152 would require government-approved locking devices for guns in your home and automobile. House Bill 1504 would require a $25,000 insurance policy on each firearm. These bills have NOT yet passed but I expect they’ll be back next year.
- Rent control — House Bill 1217 includes a 7% cap on yearly rent increases for existing tenants. There’s concern this bill could incentivize landlords to increase rents each year to the maximum limit and reduce available rentals, further driving up costs and making it harder for people to find rental housing. Rent control has never worked anywhere it’s been tried. This bill passed with no Republican support.
My first bill
House Bill 1541 passed off the House floor this week. This is my first bill that made it through the first half of the process. It now goes over to the Senate and has to have a public hearing there, pass the full Senate, and then be signed by the governor before it becomes law.
My bill modifies the membership of the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee (VAAC) to include a member from the states veterans’ homes, a federally recognized tribe, a current or former Washington National Guard member, and an individual with lived experiences such as facing barriers to housing, post-traumatic stress recovery, and substance abuse disorder. The VAAC provides advice and makes recommendations to the governor and the Director of the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs.
Having deployed to Iraq and Guantanamo Bay during my 20-year military career, I know what our veterans face when trying to access the important services they’ve EARNED through their service. Our region has many veterans who will benefit from the advice and council from this revised committee.
In my floor speech, I made reference to a dear friend and neighbor who was a World War II veteran. While this bill was officially called House Bill 1541, I refer to it as the “Jim Judd Memorial Act of 2025.” I encourage you to click here to watch my floor speech and learn more about this amazing man.
7th Legislative District Telephone Town Hall
Please don’t forget our 7th Legislative District Telephone Townhall!
Thank you for the opportunity and honor to serve you in the Washington State House of Representatives. With each new experience I have in Olympia, I further realize why our form of government is so important. I bring to the Legislature the experiences I’ve had with you, as well as the questions, concerns, knowledge, and suggestions you have imparted to me.
Finally, I will never take for granted walking up to the marbled Capitol Dome and thinking about all of you back home. It is an honor to serve you. We may not win every fight, but I promise I will never stop fighting for you and our values!
God bless.
Sincerely,
Hunter Abell
