2025 Legislative Session Update as of Friday, February 14, 2025
Today marks the 33rd day of the 2025 Legislative Session in Washington State. We are quickly approaching our first cutoff on Friday, February 21 which is the Policy Committee Cutoff. That will be the last day to read in committee reports in house of origin (House or Senate), except House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees. We should see a full list of all those bills that made it out of committee the following day.
The next cutoff date will be on Friday, February 28 for the Fiscal Committee Cutoff. It will be the last day to read in committee reports from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees in house of origin.
After that cutoff, only initiatives and alternatives to initiatives, budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets (NTIB), matters that affect state revenue, messages pertaining to amendments, matters of differences between the two houses, and matters incident to the interim and to the closing of the session may be considered.
Governor Ferguson Press Conference | Trump Executive Orders & Federal Funding Impacts
On Thursday, February 13, Governor Bob Ferguson surrounded by high-ranking State Democratic officials, held a press conference regarding President Trump’s Executive Orders and Federal Funding Impacts. He stated, “we are dealing the chaos that is coming down from Washington DC but at the same time we are going to preserve our values as a State and importantly were going to move forward on issues that unite us as a state.”
In the last fiscal year, Washington state received about $27 billion in federal funding. That amounts to roughly a third of the state’s budget. Over the past three weeks, a large amount of federal funding has been frozen. Ferguson said that as of Thursday morning, $162 million has been paused, mostly in the Department of Commerce
He noted the potential negative impacts a withdrawal of Federal funding would have on our State and how it can complicate the budget process during this Legislative session. Governor Ferguson has asked departments to cut 6% to reduce a financing gap which he believes would be around $1.8 billion over two years. He hasn’t released the plans on how to make those cuts, but when pressed by a reporter, he stated February 24th as a target date to release those plans.
You can view Governor Ferguson press conference here.
Attached is an updated Legislative Report of Top Priority Legislation.
PDF LINK
We will keep you updated on important and relevant legislation throughout the session.
If you are wanting or asked to testify on a bill, please click this link on instructions and helpful hints on the testimony process.
