Welcome to the 2025 Legislative Session; Tips for Using the New Website

A message from State Representative Mike Steele

information released

Dear Friends and Neighbors: The 2025 legislative session begins on Monday, January 13, and I’m deeply grateful for another opportunity to serve the people of the 12th Legislative District—communities that mean the world to my family and me. I’m proud to say my roots run deep in Washington.

As a lifelong resident of the Lake Chelan Valley and the son of farmers, I’ve dedicated much of my professional life to uplifting our neighbors—both in the Legislature and business community. My commitment to promoting economic vitality, sustainable job growth, and education remains unwavering. I believe that by focusing our efforts on those areas, we can help secure long-term prosperity for our district and state.

My committee assignments

This session, I’ll once again serve as the ranking member on the House Capital Budget Committee and serve on the Education, Consumer Protection and Business committees. With Democrats holding majorities in both the House and Senate, we can expect robust debates over the next 105 days, particularly around the projected operating budget shortfall.

Budget discussions

You may have seen estimates in the news showing an operating budget gap of $10–$12 billion over the next four years. While there are multiple causes, revenue isn’t one of them—tax collections have soared 103% since 2014, reaching $36.4 billion in 2023. During the upcoming session, I’ll share updates on how legislators plan to address the projected budget gap, along with any proposals for new taxes from the incoming governor or the majority party.

For my work on our state’s capital budget, I anticipate proposals for significant investments in behavioral health, housing, clean energy, salmon recovery, and water supply, plus construction projects for both large and small school districts. Additional funding may also target Western State Hospital, Capitol Lake in Olympia, and energy system improvements on the capitol campus.

Education and other top priorities this session

K–12 education remains a top concern. I’m honored to continue serving on the Education Committee, where we’re focused on enhancing academic outcomes, ensuring responsible spending, and providing a better learning environment for students.

This session lawmakers will also tackle housing affordability, public safety, transportation funding challenges (including fish passage barrier projects, ferry electrification, and cost escalations), and issues like homelessness spending, forest health, drought resiliency, flood mitigation, and child care. It promises to be a busy session, and I’ll keep you informed every step of the way.

My website and the newly designed legislative homepage

Along with my own website—which includes updates on my legislative activities, news releases, sponsored and co-sponsored bills, and email newsletters—you can find a wealth of information about pending legislation and how to testify (in person or remotely) on the newly redesigned legislative website. Below, I’ve included some quick tips to help you navigate it.

Navigating the new legislative website

When you visit the Legislature online, you’ll notice a simpler homepage design, but it may take a little time to find everything. Here are some simple instructions to get you started.

• Getting started: Visit leg.wa.gov
• Searching for bills: Look for the search bar on the homepage. Type in a bill number or keywords, and you’ll be taken to that bill’s information page. You can also go to “Bills, Meetings, and Session” in the main menu, then click “Bills” in the drop-down to search by bill number, sponsor, or topic.
• Prefiled bills: Before session begins, legislators can “prefile” bills. Select “Prefiled Bills” to see all measures filed so far.
• Bill information page: Once you find a bill, the Bill Information page will give you the bill number, sponsors, and a “Comment on this bill” link so you can share your thoughts with your legislators. You can also check “Bill History” for important updates like committee hearings and select “Get Email Notifications” to stay in the loop.
• Reading the bill language: Under “Available Documents,” click “Original Bill” to read the complete text. Underlined text shows what’s being added to current law, while anything with a strike-through would be removed.
• Explore other features: You can locate bills by topic or sponsor, see when hearings are scheduled, and learn how to submit testimony. Take a few moments to explore the new format—it might feel different at first, but you’ll soon get the hang of it!

Stay connected

We offer another email update, The Week Ahead. Sent out on Fridays, this publication provides a look at which bills will receive public hearings in House committees and offers links on how to weigh in on them. You can learn more about it here and sign up at this web page.

You can also stay connected by following us on social media. Please consider sharing our content.

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Thank you for your support and for staying engaged in your government!

Listening to people is the best way to govern. I welcome your feedback on any bill or issue that sparks your interest. I look forward to keeping you updated throughout the session and working hard for the people of the 12th Legislative District.

Sincerely,

Mike Steele