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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The pace here in Olympia has accelerated significantly as the Legislature reaches critical deadlines for the session. Keeping you informed is one of my top priorities, and I want to share a comprehensive look at the battles I am fighting for the district.
I am standing strong against renewed efforts to impose a state income tax, demanding strict accountability to protect our most vulnerable children, fighting to protect Washington from overreaching regulations on technological innovation, and pushing for commonsense transportation solutions that actually fix local roads.
Stopping the state income tax smoke screen
I need to start this update with an important call to action to stop a state income tax from becoming law in Washington. I mentioned the threat of this income tax in a previous message, and unfortunately, the danger is now right at our doorstep. Senate Bill 6346 has passed the Senate, and I need your help to stop it in the House.
Proponents are pitching it as a wealth tax, but the millionaires tax label is simply a smoke screen. Once the door to an income tax is opened, history shows these taxes inevitably expand to hit middle-class families and small businesses. This is bad legislation pushed by the majority party. Please take a moment to make your voice heard. When the bill was before the Senate, over 60,000 people signed in against it, making it the most unpopular bill in state history. Let’s send a stronger message to the House Finance Committee.
You can use the space below to read more about Washington’s first state income tax, sign in to testify, or put your position on the record.
- Learn more about Senate Bill 6346 and share your story on how this would impact you
- Sign in to testify in person or remotely
- Submit written testimony
- Give your position for the legislative record
Thank you for staying involved and engaged in your state government!
Demanding accountability and protecting our children
The most critical work of this session involves the ongoing crisis at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The State Auditor’s Office (Sao) recently revealed that it could not conduct full audits for fiscal years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 because the agency failed to track child care spending with the level of detail required by federal law. The auditor questioned the program’s entire $416 million in spending due to inadequate documentation. That is nearly half a billion dollars in spending that the state cannot fully account for due to poor or nonexistent data collection.
I spoke on the floor in strong support of House Bill 2253 to finally strengthen agency oversight. I recently partnered with Rep. Travis Couture to secure strict accountability measures in the bill to combat child care fraud. I helped secure a permanent, lifetime ban on licensure for any provider found to have committed child care subsidy fraud. To eliminate ghost billing, the bill requires providers to use an electronic attendance system that captures daily check-in and check-out times via digital signatures or biometrics. This electronic login requirement directly addresses the missing data that led to the $416 million in unknown spending.
I also fought to establish that exceeding a facility’s physical capacity at any given time constitutes grounds for license revocation under the statute. While this sounds like a standard safety provision, it is actually a crucial anti-fraud measure. Much of the ghost daycare fraud can be traced back to billing beyond capacity, which is probably the single most obvious smoking gun. In fact, SAO’s findings show that 84% of known fraud was related to overloading.
In addition to these financial safeguards, I fought to include critical physical safety provisions. The bill mandates the immediate termination of a license if high-potency synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, are found in a child care home.
You can watch my floor speech here or by clicking on the photo below. You can read more in my press release: Penner, Couture secure critical accountability measures to combat child care fraud.
I cannot allow the majority party to turn a blind eye to these systemic failures. Every dollar stolen through ghost billing or lost to mismanagement is a dollar that does not go to a child in need. To help you stay fully informed and engaged, I have put together a comprehensive resource page. This hub details the depth of the crisis, outlines the specific failures I am addressing, and explains the legislative solutions I am proposing. Your engagement is critical to ensuring state agencies are held accountable. Click here to understand exactly what is at stake, see how your tax dollars are being handled, and join the effort to save our children.
Protecting technology and innovation
A massive part of my work involved debates over how Washington will handle emerging technologies. The artificial intelligence revolution will surpass the internet revolution and the manufacturing era that defined this region for the last century. Rep. Michael Keaton and I recently wrote an op-ed asking a critical question: Will Washington nurture this next revolution or neuter it? You can read the full piece here: Reps. Joshua Penner and Michael Keaton: The next revolution is here. Will Washington nurture it or neuter it?
I took that same message to the House floor, speaking out against House Bill 1170. This bill mandates that developers of generative artificial intelligence systems include specific disclosures in their content. These mandates require the artificial intelligence sector to address unrelated social goals before the law even allows it to function. This legislation risks stifling the state’s innovation engine with heavy-handed regulations before the industry can even take root. You can watch my floor speech on this issue here or by clicking on the photo below.
On a positive note, the Republican alternative bill, the Spark Act, sponsored by Rep. Michael Keaton and co-sponsored by me, has cleared the cutoff and is now under consideration in the Senate. House Bill 1833 creates a grant program to put artificial intelligence tools into the hands of small businesses, local governments, and researchers to solve real problems. It prioritizes grants for projects that provide a statewide benefit, such as predicting wildfires, strengthening cybersecurity, and advancing health care. This is how Washington can encourage innovation and drive economic expansion without crushing startups.
Standing up for our transportation needs
I have also been highly vocal on the House floor about prioritizing local infrastructure and the district’s practical needs. During the debate on House Bill 2251, a bill that reorganizes how Climate Commitment Act funds are spent, I spoke in strong support of an amendment to remind my colleagues that fixing local bridges is actual climate action. Keeping traffic moving safely reduces emissions from idling cars and helps the local economy thrive. I ultimately voted no on the underlying climate fund changes in the bill because they are misguided and fail to prioritize the practical, everyday transportation needs of this district. You can watch my floor speeches on these transportation issues by clicking on the photos below.
In addition to advocating for local infrastructure, I am proud to share a recent transportation win for individuals with disabilities that was achieved without even passing a bill. By working directly with the Department of Licensing, the agency is updating its handicap placard application language to remove unnecessary barriers.
Previously, individuals with disabilities were often forced to physically travel to a doctor’s office just to pick up a specific piece of paper and wait in physical lines at licensing offices because electronic submissions were being refused. Field offices were often unaware of existing laws allowing electronic formats or refused documents not printed on special tamper-resistant prescription pads.
To fix this, I worked to expand the acceptable documentation types. Healthcare providers can now provide an original, signed prescription on standard letterhead or an electronic authorization. The updated language clarifies that an application printed on a prescriber’s letterhead is sufficient and counts as both the application and the written authorization. Furthermore, the agency’s guidance now explicitly acknowledges that written authorizations can include digital signatures, such as DocuSign, provided they include security features showing the name, date, and time.
Now, a provider can send an electronic authorization or a digital signature directly to the applicant. The applicant simply prints it out and adds a manual signature. Doctors can transmit these documents to patients via the electronic means of their choosing, aligning with how modern medical office workflows operate for pharmacies. This commonsense update eliminates the special paper bottleneck and makes the process significantly easier for those who need these placards.
My first bill passes the House of Representatives
I am thrilled to report that my very first bill, House Bill 2203, passed the House floor.
This legislation addresses a critical safety gap I witnessed during the historic flooding in Orting this past December. Drivers who bypass official barricades and enter hazardous areas force first responders to risk their lives for preventable rescues. My bill establishes the offense of misguided interference with emergency operations. Crucially, it protects taxpayers by allowing courts to order up to $25,000 in restitution to cover emergency response costs, and it implements mandatory driver’s license suspensions. You can read more about this victory here: House approves Rep. Joshua Penner bill for stricter penalties for drives who ignore emergency barricades.
This bill has a hearing in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice on Monday, Feb. 23, at 10:30 a.m. You can watch the public hearing here or sign in to testify here.
Thank you for the honor of representing you. Please reach out to my office anytime with your questions, thoughts, or concerns.
Sincerely,
Joshua Penner
