The 2024 Legislative Session starts Jan. 8 and is scheduled to conclude on March 7. This year, the legislature will work on a supplemental budget, adjusting for current economic conditions. Legislators are expected to end on time, as it’s an election year for the entire House of Representatives, half the Senate, and most of the statewide elected positions. Campaigning will begin after the session is over.

Key Highlights Going into Session

Key Issues Before the Legislature in 2024

  • Rising gas prices: Both critics and supporters of the Climate Commitment Act, which created a state-run auction for carbon credits, acknowledge the need to address the rising costs at the pump. Democrats have openly discussed potential solutions, including linking the carbon credit trading system to similar systems in other states, which would help to balance the demand.
    • It is important to note that any action on this topic could potentially be complicated by the initiative to repeal the Climate Commitment Act. Click here to read more.
  • Rising costs in transportation projects: The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) faces an $11 billion backlog in infrastructure projects. This gap, accumulated over a decade, includes bridge replacements and rail line repairs. WSDOT needs an additional $1.1 billion yearly for maintenance and preservation. Despite a $750 million allocation by the state legislature in 2022, the funding shortfall persists, affecting the safety and longevity of our transportation system.
  • 6 citizen-initiated ballot measures: The Let’s Go Washington campaign submitted 2.6 million signatures for the initiatives before the deadline on Dec. 29, 2023. If approved, the initiatives would repeal the Climate Commitment Act; repeal the capital gains tax; ban income taxes; make the new long-term care tax optional; allow police car chases in most situations; and establish a bill of rights for school parents. Read more in the Washington State Standard and The Seattle Times.
    • What’s the initiative process? The Secretary of State will verify signatures for the six initiatives. Once it is determined that a petition for an initiative receives enough valid signatures, the initiatives will be submitted to the state legislature on the first day of session. The legislature can then either enact the initiative into law as-is, propose an alternative initiative to appear alongside the original on the ballot, or take no action. If no action is taken, or an alternative is proposed, the initiative goes to the voters on the next statewide ballot for a public vote. This process allows citizens to propose and vote on laws or amendments to the state constitution.
    •  Why does it matter? Legislators will spend a lot of time figuring out how exactly to deal with any initiatives that end up in their lap. Case law and a 1971 Washington attorney general opinion indicate that if the legislature passes a bill on the same subject as the initiative it is supposed to go on the ballot as an alternative. It is unclear how the legislature will move forward. This is an unprecedented number of initiatives that are anticipated to be delivered to the legislature.

Helpful links for session: The Washington State Legislative Website, Find My Legislator, Legislative Committees, Bill Searcher, Washington State Legislative Roster, Sign up for Legislative Email Updates, Agendas, Schedules, and Calendars, Participating in the Process (Email or Testimony)

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