OLYMPIA - Today Governor Bob Ferguson delivered his first State of the State address to the Washington State Legislature.

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.

A transcript of the full speech can be found here. You can watch the address here. A gallery of photos can be found here.

Ferguson addressed December's historic flooding that caused tremendous damage and hardship to thousands of Washingtonians, and he thanked the first responders who risked their lives to help others.

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 the FAFSA.

"Washingtonians are not mere bystanders to history. We are bold and, with heart and spirit, we forge our destiny and make history," Ferguson said.

Key quotes:

"It seems to me that history works in different ways. And historic events for a state come in two forms: historical events that happen to us, and the history that we create."

"Government gets its share of criticism. But it's only fair to stop and notice when government delivers, especially under the most challenging and stressful circumstances. We were not passive observers of a historic event. Quite the opposite. When the story of this historic flood is written, it will recognize that when history paid us an unexpected visit in December of 2025, the people and this state stepped up, and faced the challenge head on."

"To keep our growth going, let's get back to basics, invest in our infrastructure, make our tax system more fair, and continue our progress on addressing the housing crisis. In the next two months, let's create history - to make the state of our state even stronger."

"Positioning Washington for an even stronger future is why we are all here - serving our constituents and doing this important work. It's why we take our roles seriously, debate and advocate for policies that we believe in. Let's give inspiration to future generations that we took up the challenge and provided a foundation for success."

"Washingtonians are not mere bystanders to history. We are bold and, with heart and spirit, we forge our destiny and make history."