LEGISLATURE 2025-26 / RON MUZZALL: The 2026 session begins

Sen. Ron Muzzall (R-Oak Harbor) sent this email to constituents from his official email account on Jan. 20, 2026.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The 2026 legislative session is underway. The coffee is strong, the calendars are full, and Olympia is busy again with big ideas and decisions that matter. My approach to all of it was shaped long before I ever set foot in the Capitol.

I’m a fourth-generation Whidbey Islander. I’m a farmer, a husband, a dad, and a grandfather, and I’ve spent my life working the same ground my family has stewarded for generations. Farming teaches you quickly that not everything is in your control. Weather changes. Markets shift. Timing matters. You plan carefully, adjust when needed, and try to leave things better than you found them. That perspective guides how I do this job.

The 10th Legislative District isn’t just where I live. It’s home — family farms, small businesses, ports, timberlands, and communities where people still look out for one another. Folks here don’t expect government to be flashy. They expect it to be fair, practical, and connected to everyday realities.

That’s why the committees I serve on matter to this district and to the state. As ranking member on the Health and Long-Term Care Committee, I work on a variety of issues, including access to care, affordability, and patient outcomes. On Agriculture and Natural Resources, the focus is food security and responsible land stewardship. Ways and Means handles the state’s checkbook, setting priorities and making sure spending decisions can stand the test of time. 

As this session begins, I bring a farmer’s perspective with me every day. You can’t fix one corner of the field while ignoring the rest. The same idea applies to public policy, especially when it comes to taxes, rules, and regulations.

That brings me to a symbol nearly every Washingtonian recognizes: the Douglas fir.

The Douglas fir helped build this state, both literally and economically. For generations, it supported workers, manufacturers, ports, and rural communities. It provided jobs, raw materials, and stability. Strong and resilient, it became a backbone of Washington’s economy and a reminder of what steady growth and good stewardship can achieve.

But even the strongest tree can struggle.

Anyone who’s worked land knows what invasive ivy can do. At first, it looks harmless. Over time, it tightens its grip, blocks sunlight, steals nutrients, and can eventually strangle the tree. The damage doesn’t happen all at once. Growth slows. Strength fades.

Our economy works much the same way.

Taxes, rules, and regulations all have a role. When they’re set thoughtfully, they can support growth and stability. But when they pile up without balance, they can act like ivy on a Douglas fir, slowly tightening around the trunk and choking off healthy growth.

Recent budget decisions make that point clear. In 2025, the Legislature passed the largest tax package in state history, more than $12.25 billion over four years. Despite that historic increase, the latest revenue forecast now shows a projected $4.3 billion shortfall over the next three years. This session, the governor’s proposed supplemental operating budget would add another $1.1 billion in spending, pushing total spending past $79 billion. Over the past decade, Washington’s operating budget has more than doubled, while most household incomes across our state have not.

Those numbers tell us something important. We can’t tax our way out of overspending. The more goods we grow, build, and sell in Washington, the more tax dollars we generate. That’s healthy growth. But when spending keeps climbing faster than the economy, families and employers feel the squeeze.

In the weeks ahead, I’ll share more about the budget and tax discussions underway. I’ll also begin a series of informative articles on health care, which is one of my top priorities. We’ll talk plainly about what’s driving costs, what’s helping patients, and what deserves a closer look before it adds more strain to the system.

More to come. In the meantime, service comes first. If you have a question, a concern, or just want to share your perspective, my office is ready to hear from you.

It’s an honor to represent you in Olympia.

Yours in service,

Senator Ron Muzzall

10th Legislative District