Olympia 2025
—A look at bills signed into law—
By Damon Townsend (April 16, 2025)
Governor Bob Ferguson’s first legislative session in office brought a flurry of new bills—23 signed into law in a matter of weeks. At the Cascade Party, we took a closer look to see how these early efforts stack up against the principles in our platform. While we’re rarely in full agreement with any administration, we were encouraged by the substantial overlap with our core goals: housing access, healthcare efficiency, education opportunity, public safety, and government accountability.
Housing: Deregulation That Makes Sense
HB 1353 sets up a self-certification program for accessory dwelling unit (ADU) permits. This means homeowners who meet basic design and zoning requirements can more easily build detached or in-home units—helping ease the housing shortage without massive government overhead. We also welcomed HB 1075, which expands the ability of public housing authorities to finance affordable housing projects. While we favor market-driven approaches, it’s clear that unlocking new housing options—ownership and rental—is critical.
Healthcare: Behind-the-Scenes Fixes That Matter
Ferguson signed HB 1142, which standardizes training and certification for in-home caregivers, including spouses and family members. This ensures more consistent care for some of our most vulnerable residents. Meanwhile, HB 1706 is a quiet but impactful bill that modernizes how health insurers handle prior authorization. By requiring electronic, streamlined systems, it eliminates red tape that delays treatment when patients switch plans or need time-sensitive care. These aren’t headline-grabbing reforms—but they help real people in meaningful ways.
Education: Building Foundations Early
HB 1314 invests in early learning facilities, reinforcing something we’ve long argued—early childhood education is where we can make the biggest impact. Combined with HB 1556, which provides tuition waivers at community and technical colleges for recent high school grads, we’re seeing a pattern: expanding educational opportunity from preschool to career launch. Our platform supports removing financial and social barriers to lifelong learning. These bills move the needle.
Public Safety: Tools, Not Overreach
The governor also addressed niche but important safety issues. HB 1209 limits access to sodium nitrite, a substance that has been misused in suicide attempts. SB 5209 clarifies agency authority definitions, especially in enforcement contexts involving behavioral health crises. These moves reinforce our stance that public safety must balance compassion with clarity—ensuring responders have the tools they need without encouraging overreach.
Transportation: Quiet Updates With Long-Term Value
HB 1439 updates state licensing to match federal standards—a small fix with big implications for interagency coordination and streamlined systems. Another bill, HB 1054, focuses on ferry maintenance contracting. Ferries are lifelines in many parts of Washington, and improving procurement and repair systems means better reliability for rural and coastal communities.
Tax Policy: Nudges Toward Fairness
Two tax-related bills—HB 1094 and HB 1060—show progress. HB 1094 exempts nonprofits offering social services from certain property taxes, freeing up more of their budgets for direct assistance. HB 1060 modernizes taxation for newspapers and digital content, supporting local journalism and small press operations. While our party pushes for broader tax preemption and simplification, these are constructive steps.
Inclusivity: A Broader Tent
Finally, we saw SB 5106, which designates Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state-recognized holidays. While not in our platform, it reflects a value we share: that a state functions best when it honors and respects its full range of residents.
Conclusion
Taken together, these early actions suggest a governor open to practical solutions—and one we can work with on shared goals. The Cascade Party will continue to push for bigger reforms, especially around transparency, local empowerment, and infrastructure.
Damon Townsend is a Cascade Party board Member, representing district 3/6. He has experience in government administration.
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CASCADE PARTY of WASHINGTON
PO Box 28004
Seattle, WA 98118