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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We have reached a critical turning point in the 2026 legislative session. The House of Origin cutoff is right around the corner, marking the shift from committee work to full days—and often very late nights—on the House floor.
This is the time when the contrast in Olympia becomes more stark. It is the time when we stand up to support good policy that empowers families, and when we must stand firm against bad policy that grows government at your expense.
As an assistant ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have spent the last few weeks in the trenches. It has been a marathon of long days and late nights hearing and debating bills that will have a massive impact on our state budget. This intense committee work culminated earlier this week as we transitioned to floor action on Tuesday. The decisions made in these rooms determine not just how your tax dollars are spent, but what kind of state we are building for our children.
Fighting for the most vulnerable
Before we moved to the floor, I felt compelled to speak out on two specific bills that represent a dangerous disconnect between the government and the people it serves.
Stopping the cut to early intervention (House Bill 2688)
In committee, I fought against HB 2688, which I called “a bomb dropped on our safety net.” This bill proposed a technical change—decoupling funding rates—that would result in a devastating 1% cut to the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) program.
These are the providers who teach infants born at 1 pound, 1 ounce how to swallow, move, and live. I shared the story of baby Mazie, whose life was saved by these therapies. By trying to “save pennies” today, the state is threatening the survival of medically fragile infants and guaranteeing millions of special education costs tomorrow. It is fiscally irresponsible and morally wrong.
You can watch my full committee speech on this bill by clicking on the photo above or here.
Opposing new tax schemes (House Bill 2442)
I also stood against HB 2442, which seeks to give local governments more tax flexibility. This is a polite way of saying it opens the door for higher taxes without your direct vote.
Our state budget has grown at an unsustainable rate, outpacing population growth and inflation. Yet, instead of prioritizing the most vulnerable, the majority party is asking for more resources to feed the bureaucracy. I argued that we cannot tax our way out of a budget problem caused by spending addiction. We don’t need a new tax scheme. We need an intervention.
You can watch my full committee speech on this bill by clicking on the photo above or here.
Help save our children | The Crisis at DCYF
While fighting against bad policy in committee is a duty I take seriously, we must also confront the heartbreaking systemic failures that are costing the lives of children in our communities and across the state. This goes beyond politics. It strikes at the cost of our moral obligation to the next generation.
Rep. Travis Couture has been a relentless voice on the crisis within the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) for years, tirelessly advocating for the victims of a broken system. I began working alongside him on this critical issue last session, and this year, we have significantly ramped up our joint efforts to expose a deadly reality.
Following a policy shift in 2023, we have seen a tragic rise in critical incidents involving children who were left in dangerous, drug-exposed environments because the state’s legal threshold for intervention was raised too high.
We are told the system is working. The data and the empty little beds in our communities tell a different story.
I recently challenged this broken standard directly in the House Appropriations Committee, arguing we cannot continue to accept a system where “imminent physical harm” is interpreted so narrowly that it leaves children in lethal danger. You can watch my remarks on the need for immediate reform by clicking on the photo below or here.
To solve a crisis, you must first face it.
That is why I have launched a new, comprehensive resource hub on my website. We are bypassing the bureaucracy to bring transparency directly to you. This page is not just a summary. It is a repository of evidence.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE NEW RESOURCE HUB
What you will find on the hub:
- The timeline of failure. A strictly documented history of the critical incidents and fatalities that have occurred since the “imminent harm” standard was changed in July 2023. This includes direct links to official Child Fatality Review (CFR) reports, providing undeniable proof of the system’s collapse.
- The legislative solutions. A detailed breakdown of the reforms we are fighting for.
- The fight for the safety net. Information on our efforts to save vital resources like Maddie’s Place and the Pediatric Interim Care Center (PICC), which are the only lifelines for many drug-exposed infants.
- The data demands. You can read the official correspondence in which we have requested longitudinal data on “near fatalities” and metrics that DCYF admitted in a January memo it does not currently track.
- The “Story Form.” A secure, confidential platform for families, foster parents, and social workers to share what they are seeing on the ground. We know the official narrative is incomplete. This is your space to tell the truth without fear.
I want to thank Rep. Couture for his steadfast leadership that laid the foundation for this fight. We are not just looking for policy wins. We are looking to save lives.
Staying engaged
As we move into long floor sessions, the days will get longer and the debates more intense. But I cannot do this job without you. The resource hub I launched is a tool, but your voice is the engine that drives change.
Please, take a moment to visit the page. Read the timeline. Share it with your neighbors, your church groups, and your community. The only way we fix a broken system is by refusing to look away. We must be the voice for the children who can no longer speak for themselves. Thank you for trusting me to represent you. Let’s get to work.
Sincerely,
Joshua Penner
