OLYMPIA, WA – State Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, said the opening days of the 2026 legislative session have followed a familiar pattern but raised concerns about the governor’s priorities, particularly on higher education funding, agriculture, water policy and proposed tax changes.

In a legislative update for residents of Washington’s 9th District, Schoesler said the session has begun with budget briefings and early bill hearings, with little major legislation moving in the first week.

Schoesler said his focus remains on issues he believes are most important to voters in his district. He criticized the governor’s operating budget proposal, which calls for Washington State University to take a cut of more than 3%, including administrative reductions.

“Most people would agree with an administrative cut,” Schoesler said, but he noted WSU has already raised tuition to the maximum allowed. At the same time, he said, the budget provides what he described as a “massive increase” for Evergreen State College, which he suggested lawmakers should consider closing because of excess capacity.

Schoesler also said he was troubled that agriculture was not mentioned during the governor’s State of the State address. He noted that the day before the speech, lawmakers heard from the director of the Department of Agriculture about the difficult conditions facing farmers.

He said concerns about behavioral health, including suicides among agricultural workers and their families, were also absent from the address. Schoesler added that water and drought issues were not mentioned, despite discussions six months ago about drought conditions and the possibility of similar challenges returning, including in the Yakima River Basin.

Water policy is a critical issue for the state, Schoesler said, and one he has worked on as a ranking member of the Capital Budget Committee.

Schoesler also voiced opposition to the governor’s proposal for a new income tax. He said that regardless of how it is described, it would still be an income tax and warned that thresholds could eventually be lowered to affect middle-class residents.

He added that promises to reduce other taxes are not embedded in the state constitution and are not part of a finalized plan, which he said raises additional concerns.