Governor Bob Ferguson delivered his first State of the State address to the Washington State Legislature yesterday (Tue).
In his address, Ferguson acknowledged the challenges facing the state, but declared his optimism based on Washington’s history and the heart and spirit of Washingtonians.
Ferguson called for bold action during the 60-day session on investing in infrastructure, making Washington’s tax system more fair and continuing progress on addressing the housing crisis.
Ferguson acknowledged external challenges creating division and costs to Washington: the exodus of scientific experts and shifting policy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, deployed in American cities. He cited multiple bipartisan proposals before the Legislature that have his support, including a bill that prohibits law enforcement from wearing masks and requires identifying information to be clearly displayed on their uniform.
Ferguson also underscored his support for a millionaires’ tax and his intention to put a significant percentage of the revenue back in the pockets of Washingtonians.
Ferguson called on legislators to embrace the spirit of bipartisanship, highlighting that half of the bipartisan proposals for last year’s legislative session became law. Those bills improved public safety, ensured farmers receive the rebates promised under the Climate Commitment Act, prevented the National Guard in other states from being sent into Washington without our permission and helped protect children in crisis.
He also highlighted the results of his executive orders to cut down permit and license processing times and help students complete financial aid forms.
