Home | About Tom | News & Media | Email Updates | The Ledger | Contact
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Many of you know by now that my wife Dayna suffered a medical emergency on Feb. 6.
I was in Olympia for the 2026 legislative session. As soon as I heard, I immediately returned to Moses Lake.
In her initial treatment at Samaritan Hospital, she was diagnosed as having had a serious stroke. She was transferred to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane for surgery to remove the blood clot, which went well. Dayna was in the ICU for several days, but she has since moved to a rehab facility. However, she has a long road ahead of her.
I want to thank everyone who has reached out. I cannot begin to thank all of you individually. Your thoughts and prayers have truly made a difference as we work through this tough time.
As for the legislative session, I am participating virtually and I have stayed in touch with my colleagues on many issues important to the district, although I have limited availability for meetings.
As for the long-term outlook, it is one day at a time. Dayna is responding to rehab and doing quite well. I am sure she will be returning home in the next few weeks. I am truly proud of her progress; she is indeed a miracle!
I hope to return to Olympia soon for the final part of session! But family first!
In the meantime, please reach out to my office with any questions or concerns.
Update on legislation
The House of Representatives hit the House of Origin cutoff on Tuesday. This is the deadline for the House and Senate to consider bills originating in their chambers. I was able to get four bills out of the House of Representatives before the cutoff. I appreciate my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for being willing to move my legislation, even though I have missed some time.
Here is an overview of my bills that are now in the Senate for consideration.
House Bill 2619 would create a legislative task force to review and recommend ways to streamline, eliminate, or modify regulations that contribute to stress for agricultural producers. This bill is a result of a proviso Rep. Joe Schmick and I were able to get in the 2024 budget to have the Department of Agriculture convene a work group to look at mental health and suicide prevention in agriculture. The group’s report identified regulatory stress as a contributing factor to mental health challenges in the ag sector. The task force would focus on regulations related to land use and zoning, stewardship of water resources, grazing rights, and pesticides.
House Bill 2104 would eliminate the sunset clause on legislation we passed in 2023, which allows local fire departments that use aviation suppression efforts during the initial attack on brush, timber, and grass fires to be reimbursed by the state for those expenses. The legislation has been very successful. However, the program is scheduled to end in July 2027. This bill would eliminate the sunset clause and make the legislation permanent.
House Bill 2348 would modify the Department of Natural Resources timber and land sale process by replacing outdated requirements. It gives DNR greater discretion over sale locations and standardizes rules for selling or transferring certain state-acquired lands by requiring appraisals, fair-market value, and approval from the Board of Natural Resources, improving efficiency while maintaining transparency and fiduciary oversight.
House Bill 2109 would allow vehicles being towed on a trailer that have mud, rocks, or other debris on them to be covered to prevent the debris from falling or coming off the vehicle, rather than cleaning the debris off before towing. The bill came from a constituent who frequently moves excavation equipment. It isn’t always convenient to wash the excavation equipment. Water may not be available, and it may require a great deal of water when it is easier to just cover the equipment.
House Bill 2347 is the legislation that would have repealed the luxury aircraft tax. While we did not get this bill passed, I am working with colleagues in the Senate to get HB 2347 included in other legislation. There may be some other things that go into effect in order to replace the repeal of the luxury aircraft tax.
Virtual Town Hall
I want to invite you to an upcoming virtual town hall next Wednesday night, hosted by your 13th District lawmakers: Sen. Judy Warnick, Rep. Alex Ybarra, and me. This is a great opportunity for you to ask us questions about the 2026 legislative session, share your thoughts and concerns, and discuss key issues affecting our communities and state.
The details of the event include:
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2025
- Time: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Virtual via Zoom. Register here
I look forward to connecting with you and answering your questions.
Income or ‘millionaire’ tax scheduled for hearing
The income or “millionaire” tax introduced by the majority party is moving quickly through the legislative process. Senate Bill 6346 was introduced on Feb. 4, had a public hearing on Feb. 6, and passed the Senate on Monday. The bill is already scheduled for a public hearing in the House next Tuesday, Feb. 24.
We need your help to defeat this measure. Please consider signing up to testify or comment on the bill. You can do that here.
The legislation would impose a 9.9% tax on individuals with Washington taxable income over $1 million beginning January 2028. The proposal is projected to generate $3-4 billion a year in tax collections.
My concern is that the threshold will be changed to reach more families in the very near future. We have seen it happen with the recent changes to the sales tax, B&O tax, capital gains tax, and estate tax.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
It is an honor to serve the great folks of the 13th Legislative District!
Sincerely,
Tom Dent
