City of Spokane And City Council Announce State Legislative Outcomes

City of Spokane And City Council Announce 2026 Washington State Legislative Outcomes

Lisa Gardner, City Council Communications Director, [email protected]

Monday, March 23, 2026 at 4:46 p.m.

March 12 marked the conclusion of the 2026 State Legislative Session, ending 60 intense days that were highly significant for the City of Spokane. Council President, Council Members, staff, the administration, state lobbyists, and community partners all played crucial roles in achieving key victories for the city and its residents.

"Our success this legislative session wouldn't have been possible without this collaborative team of legislators, city staff, council, and our folks on the ground in Olympia," said Council Member Sarah Dixit. "Every session, we are reminded how important it is to have legislative champions, like those in our 3rd District, advocate for our communities on the east side of the state."

"This session resulted in many successes for the City of Spokane in housing, transportation, education, civil rights, and other key issues," said Council Member Kitty Klitzke. "I am grateful for the collective effort with our state legislators, city staff, fellow council members, and the administration in making sure our city's priorities were heard. While we didn't reach all our goals, we remain hopeful that continued collaboration with our state legislators will allow us to address more important priorities next year."

Notable highlights include:

• Waste-to-Energy Reprieve
  The passage of HB 2416, sponsored by Rep. Hill, offers temporary, cost-free allowances to help reduce compliance costs. These allowances will decrease over time, allowing the City to lower greenhouse gas emissions while shielding residents from potential utility rate increases.
• Boost For Law Enforcement Training and Education
  The City secured an additional $1.15 million in this year's Supplemental Capital Budget, adding to $750,000 from the last session for essential upgrades and expansion of the Northeast Regional Law Enforcement Academy.
• Land Banking
  Working with the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium, this bill authorizes the creation of land-bank authorities to acquire, hold, prepare, and transfer land for affordable housing.

The Council and City Administration are proud to share key legislative achievements that will benefit our community.

HB 2105 - Immigrant Worker Protections: This law requires employers to inform employees about scheduled ICE I-9 audits and authorizes the Attorney General to take action against violators.

HB 2165 - Impersonating Law Enforcement: This new law criminalizes the impersonation of peace officers, protecting vulnerable immigrant communities.

SB 6026 - Residential Development in Commercial Zones: This bill prevents local governments from restricting residential development in commercial areas, promoting vibrant communities.

SB 6027 - Affordable Housing and Related Services: This legislation gives cities greater flexibility in using local sales tax revenue for housing and related services. These initiatives demonstrate our dedication to building a thriving and inclusive community.

Additional funding highlights that support our civic partners:

• $2.05 million for Terrain Cultural Hub
• $2 million for American Indian Community Center
• $180,000 for Northeast Youth & Family Services Creativity Project
• $1.545 million for Frontier Behavioral Health Wellbeing Clinic
• $773,000 for Crisis Relief & Sobering Center
• $300K and transfer of surplus WSDOT property to support the East Central Neighborhood

"I want to thank Senator Marcus Riccelli, Representative Timm Ormsby and Representative Natasha Hill for championing legislation and funding that addresses public safety, affordability and community priorities on behalf of Spokane," said Council Member Paul Dillon. "This really is a team effort from the Mayor's office to Council Members and staff and while this was a short session it was no less historic and there are many wins to celebrate."

To see all the bills and legislative wins from the 2026 legislative session, please visit our blog.

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