Looking back at the historic 2026 legislative session and previews next year's session

In today’s special edition of Capitol Ideas, Washington State Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins looks back at the historic 2026 legislative session and previews the 105-day session that will begin next January. The 60-day sprint that ended last month in Olympia was a short session for Washington State lawmakers, a time when, traditionally, adjustments are made to budgets written the previous year and leftover bills from the long session make a final push for the finish line. This year was different, with historic challenges and equally significant responses from legislators. In today’s Capitol Ideas, Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins summarizes the session and offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how representative government works in the Evergreen State.