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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The 2026 legislative session is rapidly coming to a close. The final stretch in Olympia always brings long days and exhausting late nights, and this week was no exception. I spent many hours on the House floor debating and fighting against deeply flawed legislation. At this stage of the game, I wish I could report that common sense is prevailing and good policies are moving forward. Unfortunately, that is largely not the case.

The reality is that many bad bills are being pushed through the legislative process. However, even during these difficult weeks, there are still a few bright spots. I want to start this update by sharing a small bit of light in the darkness.

A small gleam of light for vulnerable youth

Protecting our most vulnerable will always be one of my top priorities of mine in the Legislature. When children are in the state’s care, there is an absolute responsibility to ensure they are safe and to secure their futures. That is why I want to share a recent success regarding Senate Bill 5911.

This bill deals with the financial stability of youth in the care of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The underlying bill changes how the state handles funds for individuals between the ages of 18 and 21. Unfortunately, it originally included a provision stating that the department has no fiduciary duty regarding a person’s Social Security benefits. To fix this, I introduced an amendment to protect the financial rights of disabled foster kids and young adults. My amendment, which was successfully adopted, ensures that when the department acts as the representative payee for a youth’s Social Security benefits, it maintains a strict fiduciary duty to manage those funds in accordance with federal rules and regulations.

There is another small gleam of light in the supplemental operating budget, Senate Bill 5998. I successfully advocated for Amendment 2097 to get pediatric interim care centers included in the budget. These centers provide essential residential care for infants up to two years of age who are born addicted to drugs. To give some perspective on how important this is, one center in Kent has provided specialized services for 3,500 infants over the last 35 years. The amendment requires the department to work directly with a pediatric interim care center to provide a plan for moving forward. It also requires a status report on the contract by Dec. 1, 2026, ensuring the Legislature remains informed. You can watch my remarks by clicking on the photo below or here.

I was also able to get a dental pilot program for Residential Habilitation Centers included in the operating budget through Amendment 2101. Accessing routine dental care is a major hurdle for many individuals in the developmental disability community due to specific medical or behavioral needs. As a father of two children, one of whom uses a wheelchair, I know personally how hard it can be to navigate a dentist’s office. Community dental care is often unavailable to those with high acuity. However, the state centers possess the specialized facilities and expertise needed to provide this care, including dentists, specialized chairs, and appropriate clinical environments. The adopted amendment directs the Department of Social and Health Services to develop a formal plan for a pilot program allowing clients living in community settings to access dental services at these centers. This maximizes the use of existing state resources without requiring new capital expansions. The department must submit the implementation plan to the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2026. This amendment was inspired by House Bill 2202, which I introduced earlier this session. You can watch my floor speech by clicking on the photo below or here.

As mentioned in last week’s update, several important projects in the 31st District made it into the supplemental capital and transportation budgets. Regarding all these budget items, the House and Senate still need to reach an agreement on the supplemental proposals. Hopefully, all of these things remain in place. I will keep you posted.

The darker side: Late nights and troubling policy

Now to the darker side. The long days and late nights were spent fighting some very troubling policy. First, I want to share an update on my own legislation before detailing three bad bills pushed by the majority party.

Public safety stalled: The fate of House Bill 2203

My very first bill, House Bill 2203, will not be moving forward. The Senate Committee on Transportation did not move it forward, and I am extremely disappointed. This bill would have imposed strict penalties on drivers who bypass emergency barricades. This addresses a critical safety gap that became evident during the historic flooding in Orting this past December. During those floods, emergency personnel frequently encountered motorists who bypassed official barricades. These preventable incidents forced first responders to risk their lives for rescues and diverted life-saving resources away from the broader community. The bill would have created the offense of reckless interference with emergency operations. It would also have allowed public agencies to recover up to $25,000 per incident for emergency response costs, protecting taxpayers.

Stripping local control: A direct attack on elected sheriffs (Senate Bill 5974)

Public safety is a fundamental responsibility of government, and citizens rely on local law enforcement to keep communities safe. The Office of the Sheriff is unique because it is directly accountable to the voters. People choose who leads local law enforcement based on local values and specific community needs. Unfortunately, the majority party in Olympia seems intent on eroding that local control. Instead of supporting local law enforcement, they are pushing legislation that strips power from voters and hands it to state bureaucrats.

That brings me to a deeply concerning piece of legislation. Senate Bill 5974 fundamentally alters the Office of the Sheriff. This legislation was debated for 6.5 hours. It is a bill to take away the will of the voters. Currently, voters elect sheriffs to represent specific community values and priorities. This legislation grants a state commission the authority to remove a sheriff who was duly elected by the people. If a sheriff loses their certification, the office is automatically declared vacant. This bypasses the traditional constitutional recall process and sets a dangerous precedent where state bureaucrats can overturn the results of a democratic election.

Additionally, the bill mandates that sheriffs restrict their volunteer and cadet programs, prohibiting them from enforcing laws, carrying firearms, or using force. Sheriffs in rural, underfunded counties often rely on these volunteers to supplement their limited staff. This puts well-meaning volunteers in dangerous situations and forces sheriffs to disband programs that have kept communities safe for decades. The legislation also targets the Sheriff of Pierce County, Keith Swank. I spoke at length on amendments that would have made this horrible bill slightly better. The majority party rejected all of them, and I voted NO.

Bypassing communities: Massive Sound Transit permitting overreach (Senate Bill 6309)

Local communities spend countless hours developing zoning and building regulations to protect the unique character of their neighborhoods. When development happens, it should be done in a way that respects those local decisions. Regional transit authorities should not be granted a special pass to ignore the rules that every other builder and property owner must follow. Unfortunately, the majority party is advancing legislation that gives unelected transit agencies the power to steamroll over local communities.

The next concerning piece of legislation is Senate Bill 6309. This is another horrible bill that grants regional transit authorities enhanced municipal permitting tools. Local development regulations are designed to protect neighborhoods and manage growth. However, this bill allows a regional transit authority to construct facilities for a rail fixed guideway system that exceed the height limits and setback requirements of local development regulations. It also permits the transit authority to apply for land-use and construction permits before it even acquires the real property on which the facilities will be built. This is a massive overreach that ignores local control. I spoke on several amendments trying to fix this flawed legislation.

First, I delivered a floor speech highlighting the dangerous precedent of allowing regional transit authorities to bypass local safety regulations. Specifically, I spoke to an amendment that would have prevented transit authorities from modifying standards related to steep slopes, erosion hazards, seismic zones, and flood areas. Granting an organization the power to ignore height limits and setback requirements undermines the strict public engagement and planning process. The core of my opposition rests on the region’s catastrophic potential for natural disasters. When agencies are incentivized to maximize a build-out while minimizing planning for earthquakes and landslides, the results can be fatal. Development rules are often written in blood to protect citizens, and I urged the House to reject a system where transit authorities prioritize their own convenience over public safety. You can watch my floor speech by clicking on the photo below or here.

I also spoke in support of an amendment requiring regional transit authorities to obtain written consent from abutting property owners before reducing property line setbacks. Setbacks are essential for fire protection and first responder access, ensuring a safe distance between structures and property lines. It is fundamentally unfair for a single entity to rewrite these rules without at least providing the courtesy of notification to those directly affected by the changes. Despite these concerns, the amendment was not adopted. You can watch my floor speech by clicking on the photo below or here.

Finally, I delivered a sharp dissent on the House floor against the underlying bill. This legislation represents government for the government rather than serving the people. The Sound Transit board is unelected and remains unresponsive to the taxpayers who fund the district. I pointed out the significant financial burden on constituents in the 31st District, who often pay more in property taxes, sales taxes, and car tabs to Sound Transit than they do to their own cities or school districts. Despite these high costs, promised rail expansions are not projected until 2045, a goal the agency is unlikely to meet given its current financial state. An agency billions of dollars upside down should not be empowered to write its own rules. You can watch my final remarks by clicking on the photo below or here.

Eroding privacy: Expanding the Attorney General’s power (Senate Bill 5925)

Washingtonians value privacy and the constitutional protections that prevent the government from conducting unwarranted searches. Before the state demands access to private documents or forces someone to testify, there should be clear oversight from a judge. Unfortunately, the majority party is advancing legislation that removes these critical checks and balances, giving immense, unchecked power to the attorney general.

The last bill I want to highlight is Senate Bill 5925, brought forward by the Attorney General. This is another horrible bill that drastically expands the attorney general’s office’s general powers. The legislation allows the attorney general to issue written civil investigative demands for documents, answers to written interrogatories, and oral testimony prior to instituting a civil proceeding. Essentially, this grants the office the power to demand vast amounts of private information without requiring prior court approval or oversight. I spoke at length on this bill to highlight the severe threat to privacy.

Here is a list of my floor speeches on this bill:

During my final remarks on the House floor, I stood to voice my strong opposition to Senate Bill 5925 and question the necessity of granting the attorney general’s office such extremely generous and unchecked investigative powers. The office has already demonstrated an extensive ability to pressure individuals, businesses, and local jurisdictions without these new provisions. I expressed deep concern over the conduct of the attorney general’s office, citing past reprimands by superior courts and a perceived lack of barriers in its pursuit of information. I drew a sharp comparison between the expansion of government power and the behavior of hot air. Both will naturally expand to fill whatever container is provided. By passing this bill, the Legislature is simply facilitating further overreach and lubricating a system of tyranny that already lacks sufficient oversight. You can watch my final remarks on this bill by clicking on the photo below or here.

Looking forward

Next week is the last week of the 2026 session. I will provide more updates on bills and where things stand. If there is anything specific you want covered in the coming weeks, please contact my office.

It is an honor to serve the great people of the 31st District.

Sincerely,


Joshua Penner

State Representative Joshua Penner, 31st Legislative District
RepresentativeJoshuaPenner
469 John L. O'Brien Building | P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600
joshua.penner@leg.wa.gov
(360) 786-7866 | Toll-free: (800) 562-6000