2026 Washington state legislative session begins
With the banging of gavels, the Washington state Legislature opened its sprint of a 60-day session Monday in Olympia.
The proceedings were more ceremony than substance, as the state’s 98 representatives and 49 senators began their work.
Anticipating fiery disagreements over the next two months, Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, a Democrat who presides over the Senate, pleaded for “grace and respect” among lawmakers.
In the year of the country’s 250th anniversary, Heck focused on promises the nation’s founders made about what the United States would be.
“All the work to sustain democracy, all the sacrifices required for democracy, would ultimately be worthwhile. We are confident that will become self-evident at the end of our 60 days together,” Heck told senators. “So let’s get started.”
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/01/12/live-coverage-2026-washington-state-legislative-session-begins/