Washington lawmakers wrap up legislative session
Sunday marked the final day of the 2025 legislative session for Washington State. While those lawmakers take a break, plenty of paperwork now sits on Governor Bob Ferguson's desk.
It was a hard-fought legislative session, with 105 days of debates and deliberation. Now, the real work begins for Governor Bob Ferguson, who will be pouring over the proposed bills for the next several weeks. Bills that directly impact Washington residents, including everything from gun laws to rental increases.
The governor inked nearly 20 bills into law at the end of last week, and he's expected to sign another bill tomorrow at 1 p.m. There could be a few more on the docket, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.
Amongst the most hotly contested, impacting a wide range of residents, is House Bill 1217, focused on capping rent hikes. It limits annual increases to 7% (plus inflation) or 10% total (whichever is lower) and, up to 5% for manufactured homes.
There's also Senate Bill 5041, which allows workers on strike to receive unemployment insurance benefits for up to six weeks.
As well as House Bill 1163, aimed at strengthening public safety with a firearm permit-to-purchase law.
Unless they're called into a special session, the legislature will not meet again until the new year.
The governor's office has already signed 169 bills since April 4.
Governor Ferguson offered his thoughts following the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session, with a statement that reads, in part:
'I want to thank our legislators, staff and my team, for all their hard work this session as we faced a $16 billion budget shortfall. I look forward to carefully reviewing the budgets line by line over the next few weeks. When that review is complete, I will share my thoughts with the public in greater detail.'
The governor has also directed Washington lawmakers to brace for additional hostility from the federal government, as there are plans in place to withhold funds from sanctuary cities nationwide. Here in Washington, that includes Olympia and Seattle. KIRO 7 will be on the lookout for the latest from both our state and nation's capitols and how it affects you.
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