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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As the 2026 legislative session concluded, lawmakers approved three supplemental budgets – the operating, transportation, and capital budgets – that will shape state spending over the next year. While there were some positive investments, this session will largely be remembered for missed opportunities, growing government, and decisions that raise serious concerns about affordability and constitutional limits.
Operating budget: More spending, more risk
“Our state government has a spending problem. The Legislature just wrote itself a blank check to continue that spending problem.”
The majority party approved an operating budget exceeding $80 billion, continuing a decade-long pattern of rapid government growth. This plan spends beyond projected revenues and relies on uncertain funding sources, including legally questionable policies and one-time budget gimmicks.
At the same time, it reduces funding in areas that matter deeply to rural communities, including health care, education, child care, and long-term care. These decisions will be felt most in small towns where resources are already stretched thin.
Families across our district are facing rising costs for groceries, fuel, housing, and insurance. This budget grows government but does little to make life more affordable. This is one of many reasons I voted “NO” on the supplemental operating budget.
Capital budget: Investing in core infrastructure
“When we focus on real community needs, we can still deliver meaningful results.”
The supplemental capital budget invests in infrastructure and community projects across the state, including school construction, water systems, and public facilities.
In the 7th Legislative District, these investments support rural communities through improvements to local infrastructure, education facilities, and economic development projects. While there are broader disagreements on spending priorities, this remains one area where the Legislature can come together to deliver tangible results. That is one of the reasons I voted “YES” on the supplemental capital budget.
Transportation budget: We need to maintain what we have without adding more debt and taxpayer burden
“When we blur the line between short-term budgeting and long-term debt, we create problems we will be forced to pay for later.”
The transportation budget continues important work on maintenance, preservation, and completing projects already underway. That focus is appropriate in a supplemental year and helps ensure our system remains safe and reliable.
However, I have serious concerns about the inclusion of additional bonding and long-term debt and the burden this places on current and future taxpayers already struggling under high taxes and an affordability crisis. This is one of the reasons I voted “NO” on the supplemental transportation budget.
The income tax debate and constitutional limits
“This is not just bad policy – it is a direct challenge to the Washington State Constitution.”
In the final days of session, the House engaged in an over-24-hour floor debate on legislation to create a state income tax. I opposed this proposal not only because of its impact on affordability, but because it conflicts with long-standing constitutional law.
For nearly a century, the Washington State Supreme Court’s decision in Culliton v. Chase has been clear: income is property, and property must be taxed uniformly. A graduated income tax violates that requirement. That precedent has never been overturned.
I take our Constitution seriously. It should be respected. Despite this clear precedent, the Legislature moved forward. An amendment to acknowledge this constitutional reality was rejected, and the policy was passed in defiance of well-established law.
The structure of the policy also deserves attention. As written, it creates an income tax on everyone, with a current exemption at a certain threshold. That threshold can be lowered at any time with a simple majority vote.
For more information, you can watch my video on the income tax fight here.
If this is truly the direction lawmakers want to take, the proper path is a constitutional amendment and a vote of the people – not an attempt to bypass both.
Update on my legislation
“My duty is to uphold our state and federal Constitutions, articulate our district’s values, and deliver for the people of the 7th Legislative District. I’m proud of what we accomplished together this session.”
I was pleased to see several bills I sponsored pass the Legislature this session and become law, each addressing a specific issue brought forward by people in our communities.
I was honored to have House Bill 1541 – known as the Jim Judd Memorial Act – also signed into law. This legislation strengthens Washington’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee to better reflect the full range of service and experience within our veteran community.
Named in honor of Jim Judd of Inchelium, the law ensures that those advising on veterans policy bring perspectives from across generations, branches, and communities. It came directly from conversations with veterans and advocates who saw a need for a more responsive and representative advisory structure.
Another bill reflects a different but equally important principle: respect for family, property, and tradition. It allows families to establish small, private burial grounds on their own land, with clear safeguards in place to protect public health, neighboring properties, and future landowners. For many in rural communities, land is more than property. It is history, legacy, and connection. This law recognizes that in a thoughtful and responsible way.
Another one of my bills corrects a conflict in state law that could have forced certain Port of Pend Oreille employees to pay into two retirement systems for the same job. That was never the intent of the law, and without this fix, workers and local employers could have faced significant and unnecessary costs. This legislation provides a narrow, targeted solution that restores fairness and ensures existing retirement systems are properly recognized. I am extremely grateful for Sen. Shelly Short’s efforts in the Senate to help see this legislation pass. She sponsored companion legislation in the Senate and worked tirelessly to inform her colleagues on why this legislation is needed.
And finally, my bill to modernize Washington’s notary laws by expanding the use of remote notarization passed the Legislature. It allows certain documents, oaths, and acknowledgments to be completed using secure communication technology, while maintaining strong identity verification and recordkeeping requirements. This is a practical update that improves access to notarial services, particularly in rural areas where travel can be a barrier, while bringing our statutes in line with current practice.
Each of these bills is grounded in the same approach: identify a real problem, listen carefully, and apply a precise solution. That is how the Legislature should work, and I am grateful to see these efforts move forward.
However, I was disappointed that one of my bills did NOT make it through the Legislature: my proposal to establish a clear process for creating a Global War on Terror memorial on the Capitol campus – honoring Washingtonians who gave their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. While that effort did not advance this session, the goal remains important. Our state already recognizes the service of earlier generations with memorials on the Capitol grounds, and those who served after September 11 deserve that same recognition.
This bill was never about creating a large new state expense. It was about establishing a path forward – one that relies primarily on private support while ensuring the state provides a lasting place of remembrance.
Unfortunately, some on the other side of the aisle took offense at this effort and deemed it too political to support. I will continue working on this throughout the interim and hope to move it forward again next year.
What we stopped and what was left undone
“Even in the minority, stopping bad policy matters.”
This session, I worked with my House Republican colleagues to slow policies that would have made life more expensive and communities less safe.
We blocked new taxes and fees on everyday essentials, stopped proposals that would have weakened public safety, and pushed back against regulations that would increase costs on farmers, employers, and small businesses.
At the same time, significant opportunities were missed. The Legislature did not deliver meaningful relief for working families, did not address the root causes of rising housing and child care costs, and did not act on citizen initiatives to protect girls’ sports and strengthen parental rights. If these two initiatives would have been brought before us in the Legislature for a vote, I would have supported both. As it is, the voters will have the final say later this year.
We also failed to take meaningful steps to improve public safety or address the challenges facing many communities. Instead, government continues to grow while many of the core issues people care about remain unresolved.
Join us for upcoming town halls
“I work for you. I need to hear directly from you what is on your mind.”
I will be joining my seatmates, Rep. Andrew Engell and Sen. Shelly Short, for a series of town halls across the 7th Legislative District. Given the size of our district, we are holding meetings in multiple locations to make it easier for you to attend, ask questions, and share your perspective.
Omak Town Hall
Thursday, March 26 | 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Omak City Hall, 2 N Ash St.
Cusick Town Hall
Monday, March 30 | 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Camas Center, 1821 LeClerc Rd. N
Colville Town Hall
Thursday, April 2 | 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Ag Trade Center, 317 W Astor Ave.
East Wenatchee Town Hall (with Rep. Brian Burnett)
Thursday, April 16 | 5:30–6:30 p.m.
East Wenatchee City Hall, 271 9th St. NE
I hope you can join us at one of these events.
Thank you
Thank you to everyone who stayed engaged this session – whether by reading these updates, contacting my office, or participating in community conversations.
It is an honor to represent you in the Washington State House of Representatives. Your input helps guide this work, and I look forward to continuing that conversation in the months ahead.
Sincerely,
Hunter Abell
