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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We are entering the last two weeks of the 2026 legislative session where budgets begin to finally take center state. The Legislature will pass supplemental budget for operating expenses, transportation, and capital improvements. These “supplemental” budgets are supposed to be just that – small adjustments to the larger two-year budgets passed last year. While the transportation and capital budgets do look like true supplemental budgets – and even ones I could support – I have serious concerns with the majority party’s supplemental operating budget.
Concerns with the House Democrat budget proposal – I’m voting NO
House Democrats recently released their supplemental operating budget, proposing to increase Near General Fund spending by another $2 billion in the current biennium, part of an $8 billion increase over the previous budget cycle. Additionally, the plan would still spend $4.6 billion more than the state expects to collect in tax revenue. The 2025-27 biennial budget is the third biennial budget in a row that we will spend more money than we are taking in. This supplemental budget continues that unsustainable trend. That kind of imbalance is a major reason Washington continues to face structural budget challenges.
To make the numbers work, the proposal relies on a series of one-time fund shifts and account transfers rather than sustainable budgeting. These include moving $880 million from the state’s rainy-day fund, pulling money from multiple dedicated accounts, and shifting hundreds of millions of dollars between programs to backfill spending. The budget also assumes nearly $2 billion in new tax revenue over the four-year outlook, including revenue tied to a proposed income tax.
All of this comes on top of a state budget that has already doubled over the past decade, while lawmakers approved the largest tax and fee increases in state history just last year. Rather than prioritizing restraint and long-term stability, this proposal continues a pattern of growing government and relying on temporary financial maneuvers that do not address the underlying spending trajectory.
As we debate and vote on the budget today (again, I will be a strong “NO” vote), my focus remains on protecting taxpayers, ensuring responsible use of state resources, and advocating for a more sustainable approach that does not place an ever-growing burden on families, farmers, and small businesses in our rural communities.
Standing up for local voters and constitutional authority
I recently wrote an op-ed about my concerns with Senate Bill 5974, a proposal that would allow an unelected state board to decertify a sitting sheriff and effectively remove that individual from office. Sheriffs are not appointed officials. They are elected directly by the people of their counties, and our state constitution already provides a clear process for holding them accountable through elections and recall.
This issue is bigger than any single officeholder. It is about preserving the right of citizens to choose their local leaders and ensuring that authority remains with voters, not centralized in Olympia. Changes that affect constitutional offices and local control deserve careful scrutiny, and I will continue advocating for policies that respect the voice of the people and the role of our rural communities.
As I wrote in my op-ed:
“In rural communities especially, the sheriff is often the most visible and accountable public official. They answer directly to their neighbors, not to Olympia. They advocate for their counties, sometimes in ways that may not align with state leadership. That independence is by design.
“At a time when we should be focused on fighting crime, improving public safety, and supporting our communities, we are instead debating whether to centralize more authority in Olympia.”
Welcoming a 9th District Page to Olympia
I had the pleasure of sponsoring Kinyon Gable, a sophomore at University High School in Spokane Valley, as a legislative page in the House of Representatives this week. Kinyon did an outstanding job during her time in Olympia, assisting lawmakers by delivering messages and documents throughout the Capitol campus and observing floor debate from the House chamber.
The page program gives students a front-row seat to the legislative process, and it is always encouraging to see young people take an interest in how state government works. I appreciate Kinyon’s professionalism and enthusiasm, and I’m grateful she took the opportunity to learn more about how the people’s House operates.
Thank you for allowing me to serve you in Olympia and for your continued words of encouragement and support. And for expressing your thoughts, concerns, and potential solutions to the many issues we face in the 9th District. I really do appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Joe Schmick
