Rep. Tom Dent joins Glenn Vaagen on the Pacific Northwest Ag Network to discuss ag and forestry issues before the Legislature in 2026

January 22, 2026

Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, joins Glenn Vaagan of the Pacific Northwest Ag Network to talk about some of the agriculture and forestry-related legislation before the Legislature in the 2026 session.

Dent discusses his House Bill 2619, which geared toward reducing regulatory stress in agriculture. The bill is a result of the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention for Agricultural Producers and Workers Report released last year.

He also touched on his House Bill 2620, which would roll back the Washington Forest Practices Board’s decision that increased riparian buffer zones along fishless streams. The board’s decision removes millions of dollars’ worth of harvestable timber from production and further strains the state’s struggling forest economy. Farmers and ranchers are concerned that it will impact them, if not now, in the near future.

Dent introduced House Bill 2584 this session that would provide a sales and use tax exemption for qualifying farm machinery and equipment.

He also mentioned House Bill 2347, his proposal to reduce the impact of the luxury aircraft tax passed in the 2025 session.