The 2025 Legislative Session officially adjourned on time at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, concluding the 105-day budget year marathon. In the final days leading up to adjournment, known as Sine Die, the Legislature was a flurry of bill passages, conference committees, floor debates, and the familiar “hurry-up-and-wait.”
Most importantly, the House and Senate approved a two-year, $77.9 billion Operating Budget, which now heads to the Governor for consideration.
All bills not yet signed are now before the Governor, who has until May 20 to act. He may sign a bill into law, veto it entirely, veto specific sections, or take no action, in which case the bill becomes law automatically.
WR ended the session with mixed results. A major victory for retailers, and for public safety overall, was the Legislature’s approval of $100 million in grant funding for local governments to hire additional law enforcement officers, prosecutors, public defenders, treatment specialists, and community resource officers. This funding represents a significant step toward creating safer workplaces and shopping environments.
However, the passage of $12.4 billion in new taxes was a major disappointment. These tax increases will impact every retailer and Washingtonian. Several new policy measures also passed that could threaten the state’s financial stability, including a bill that grants unemployment benefits to striking workers and another that expands paid family and medical leave benefits, breaking the original agreement made when the program was first established.
WR’s team is preparing a comprehensive Legislative Law Review, which will be sent to all dues-paying members shortly after the Governor concludes his bill reviews.
One looming question remains: Will the Legislature be forced to return to Olympia before the 2026 session begins next January? If federal funding is cut, withheld, or denied for any number of programs or agencies, the state may find itself short on resources and require a special session to address the gaps. Time will tell.
