Dent says early session marked by cooperation, tight budgets and measured expectations

OLYMPIA — As the Washington Legislature moves through the early days of its 60‑day session, Rep. Tom Dent, R‑Moses Lake, says the tone at the Capitol has been calmer than last year, with lawmakers still sorting through priorities and positioning their bills for consideration. 

“It’s early. There have been a lot of bills dropped, and we’re hearing bills in committees,” Dent said. “But there hasn’t been anything really controversial show up in my world at the moment.” 

Dent said that while controversial bills do exist, they have not appeared in the committees he serves on. Instead, he sees a cooperative mood taking shape.  

“I think there’s a spirit of cooperation so far, is how we get solved some of the problems that we have,” he said. 

With thousands of bills filed and a compressed timeline, Dent said many proposals are already beginning to fall away.  

“We’re still just going to sort everything out, and seeing some priorities come together, and we’re seeing some bills that are out there that probably aren’t going anywhere,” he said. “By next week or the week after, we’re going to start seeing the stuff shake out.” 

Asked what constituents should realistically expect to advance this year, Dent was blunt. 

“Bills that don’t cost money,” he said. “Anything that costs money isn’t going to move. Any real controversial thing probably won’t move, because there’ll be so much pushback on it.” 

Dent said the Legislature is still influenced by the tone of last year’s session, which he described as unusually difficult.  

“Last year was the most contentious session that I’ve been through, and most of the members here said the same thing,” he said. “It’s good to see they seem to be a little bit more subdued this year.” 

Despite the slower start, Dent said lawmakers are already grappling with major policy challenges, particularly around child welfare and the state budget. He pointed to renewed discussions around laws passed several years ago related to keeping children at home. 

“Our child fatality rate has gone up exponentially,” Dent said. “We’re looking at some fixes on that, and there’s going to be a fix… it may not be what we all want, but there’ll be something.” 

Budget negotiations, however, remain the largest unanswered question of the session.  

“The budget’s the big thing, how we can fix the budget,” he said. 

Dent said he opposes new taxes and believes the solution lies in spending restraint.  

“I’m all in to say, well, let’s prioritize our spending,” he said. “I’m not going to vote for a tax increase at all … We don’t need it. We need to prioritize our spending, not increase our budget.” 

With it being an election year, Dent said tax proposals face an uphill climb.  

“It’ll be interesting to see who wants to vote for a tax increase in an election year,” he said. 

Although Dent is in the minority party, he said the dynamics unfolding behind the scenes are familiar.  

“It’s really interesting right now because we see all these different players jockey for position on the bills that they really want,” he said. “And know that if it costs money, it’s not going anywhere.” 

Several of Dent’s own bills are moving through the process, though he said he is realistic about which will advance.  

“I don’t expect a lot of movement on some of them,” he said. “But I’ve got a couple of them that are pretty darn good bills, and I think they’ll move.” 

Among those, Dent believes his aviation assurance funding bill, HB 2104, has a strong chance.  

Other proposals, including changes related to aircraft taxation, timber sales, and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families accountability board, may move in some form, Dent said, particularly because many do not carry new costs. 

As for whether lawmakers will pass a balanced budget within the 60‑day session, Dent said it is too soon to tell.  

“That’s anybody’s guess,” he said. “I don’t have a read on it … we’re still jockeying for position and trying to sell programs.” 

Still, Dent said the coming weeks will bring clarity.  

“By the third week and then the fourth week, we’re going to have a pretty good idea of where we’re going,” he said. 

For now, Dent described the session as typical for this early stage — cautious, strategic and far from settled.  

“This is a great process… and you watch this stuff move through here,” he said. “We’ll just kind of see where it goes.” 

Dent’s sponsored bills:  

House Bill 2327 – County forest trust audit 

Requires an independent review of how county forest trust lands are managed by the Department of Natural Resources to ensure compliance with original trust agreements and fair revenue for counties. Referred to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 12; no fiscal impact. 

House Bill 2322 – Alternative jet fuel 

Supports development of low‑to‑zero carbon sustainable aviation fuel by clarifying carbon intensity calculations and providing certainty around existing tax incentives to encourage investment. Referred to the Environment & Energy Committee on Jan. 12; no fiscal note filed. 

House Bill 2109 – Securing vehicle loads 

Strengthens highway safety laws by clarifying requirements for securing and covering vehicle loads and cleaning debris from vehicles to prevent road hazards. Referred to the Transportation Committee on Jan. 12, with a public hearing set for Jan. 22; estimated cost of $73,000 over two years. 

House Bill 2104 – Wildland fire aviation resources 

Makes permanent a program that ensures local and tribal fire departments can use aviation resources for early wildfire suppression. Referred to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 12; public hearing scheduled for Jan. 23. 

House Bill 2511 – Imminent physical harm definition 

Defines “imminent physical harm” in child welfare law to provide clearer guidance when determining if a child is at immediate risk due to abuse, neglect, unsafe conditions, or caregiver impairment. Referred to the Early Learning & Human Services Committee on Jan. 15; no fiscal note filed. 

House Bill 2529 – DCYF accountability board 

Modernizes and clarifies oversight of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families by establishing a streamlined DCYF Accountability Board focused on performance monitoring, transparency, and outcomes. Referred to the Early Learning & Human Services Committee on Jan. 16; no fiscal note filed. 

House Bill 2584 – Farm equipment tax exemption 

Creates a temporary sales and use tax exemption for qualifying farm machinery purchased by small and medium‑sized farmers to reduce costs and support local food production. Referred to the Finance Committee on Jan. 20; no fiscal note filed.