How does the Washington Legislature work?
Advocacy efforts require a basic understanding of the Legislative process. This section is designed to orient you to Washington’s State Legislature so you can advocate for PLU with confidence.
The Basics: How Washington is Structured
Washington is a bicameral legislature, with a SENATE and a HOUSE.
The “Part-Time” Reality:
Our legislature doesn’t meet year-round. They meet for 105 days in odd-numbered years (long sessions) and 60 days in even-numbered years (short sessions). Because it’s part-time, most legislators have other jobs in the communities they represent.
The Journey of a Bill
Before a piece of legislation becomes law, it is called a bill. To pass, it must navigate a rigorous path through both the House and the Senate and be signed by the Governor.
A bill must pass through three specific committees in each chamber:
Policy Committee
Focused on the topic (e.g., Education).
Fiscal Committee
Focused on the cost and budget.
Rules Committee
Determines if the bill is ready for a full vote.
Repeat
Essentially, a piece of legislation can be voted on up to eight times (or maybe more!) before it reaches the Governor’s desk. However, an individual legislator will likely only see a specific measure two or three times.
Who is in the Room?
Because Democrats currently hold a strong majority in both chambers, every committee is chaired by a Democrat and has a higher number of Democratic members. Each committee also has a “Ranking Member” from the minority party (Republican).
Divided by topic (12 in the Senate, 14 in the House).
- Senate: Transportation; Ways and Means.
- House: Transportation; Capital Budget; Finance; and Appropriations.
The 2027 Session
In 2027, the Legislature is entering the beginning of their two year cycle called a biennium.
Elections happen every two years. Washington State Representatives serve two-year terms, so all Representatives are up for reelection. Washington State Senators serve four-year terms, so half of the Senate is up for reelection.
Representatives and Senators will be elected in November of 2026 and sworn in to officially take office on January 11th, 2027.
The Legislature will meet for 105 days, starting Monday, January 11th, 2027, and ending Sunday, April 25th, 2027.
It’s also critical to note the budget situation Washington has faced for the last biennium, and will likely be facing again this year. The Office of Financial Management has once again warned the Legislature that they are likely facing an increasingly difficult budget cycle, and the Legislature is required to pass a new budget during the 2027 long session.
Timing is Everything: Cutoffs & The Calendar
The Legislature moves fast because of Cutoff Dates. These are strict deadlines for when bills must move out of committees and chambers. If a bill misses a deadline, it is considered “dead” (with very rare exceptions).
There is no official cutoff calendar until session starts in January, however, cutoff calendars are typically similar to the most recent session of the same length.
How the session flow affects you:
Legislators are easier to reach. This is the best time for constituent meetings and testimony.
Once they move to the floor to vote, legislators work long hours and often stop taking meetings. This is the time to “work the doors” in Olympia, send emails, or make phone calls.
When legislators aren’t in session, it’s called the interim. In between a short and long session (in an even year), many legislators are running for reelection, and are more difficult to get in contact with outside of a campaign connection. In between a long and short session (in an odd year), legislators are more able to meet with constituents in district, though they often return to their other jobs.
Where is PLU?
PLU is located in the 29th Legislative District. Other ICW colleges that are impacted by the cuts to WCG and CB are located in Spokane (District 3), Toppenish (District 14), Lacey (District 22), Seattle (District 36), Tacoma (District 27), and Walla Walla (District 16).
Senator Conway served the 29th Legislative District for 33 years before retiring just recently. He was our long time champion in the Senate. Currently, Sharlett Mena (a former Representative for the 29th) and David Anderson are running to fill Senator Conway’s position for this upcoming session.
Representative positions are up for reelection every two years. For position 1, incumbent Melanie Morgan is running against challenger Krista Perez (D). For position 2 (which used to be held by Sharlett Mena), the results of the August 4th primary will produce two candidates, neither of whom will be incumbents.
The majority of PLU students live in either the 29th or the 2nd, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th or 31st Legislative Districts, also in Pierce County.
Lets Talk Budget
Washington’s Legislature is responsible for setting the state budget, which operates on a two-year cycle. They write and pass the initial budgets in the long session, and then make any revisions necessary with a supplemental budget in the short session.
Budgets coming out of the legislature are divided into the Operating Budget (which is for day-to-day operations and core services like K-12 education), Transportation, and Capital (which includes construction and housing).
In 2027, the Legislature is continuing to face a budget deficit, meaning that the state has not generated or received enough money to cover all previous costs included in the budget. Therefore, Legislators have to decide on cuts (which would decrease overall costs) or revenue (which would increase the potential money the Legislature had to spend, and also increase taxes).
While the Legislature writes and passes the budget itself, there is also plenty of influence from the other two branches of government. The Judicial system has to ensure that the budget is aligned with the Constitution, and the Executive branch, specifically the Governor and the Office of Financial Management, tend to be key players in the process.