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Seattle council briefing hears state legislative update as fiscal cutoff looms
Summary
The Office of Intergovernmental Relations told the City Council that 31 days remain in the 2026 session and that Feb. 9 is the fiscal committee cutoff; OIR flagged dozens of bills the city is tracking and warned a projected $2.3 billion state shortfall will constrain near-term state funding decisions.
The Seattle City Council received a state legislative update Feb. 9 from the Office of Intergovernmental Relations, which said the legislature is in week five of the short session and that “just 31 days remain.”
The briefing, led by OIR Director Mina Hashemi, summarized the status of Seattle-priority bills and emphasized the compressed timeline for bills with budget impacts to clear fiscal committees by Feb. 9 to remain viable. Hashemi said the presentation highlighted legislation corresponding to the city’s official state legislative agenda and that staff would follow up with additional details by email.
Why it matters: OIR told the council that the state is facing a sizable near-term budget gap and that policies requiring state funding will be constrained by those fiscal realities. An OIR presenter said the current biennium faces an estimated $2,300,000,000 shortfall and that revenues from proposals such as the millionaire’s income tax would not arrive in time to close that gap.
Key items OIR flagged included House Bill 1128 (a childcare workforce standards board), House Bill 1678 (social housing PDAs), House Bill 2304 (changes to condominium warranty and express warranty insurance), House Bill 2495 (addressing vehicles obstructing streetcar service) and House Bill 5098 (prohibiting possession or open carry of weapons at certain public buildings and places where children are likely to be present). On the senate side, staff highlighted SB5500 (childcare reimbursement rates), SB5880 (toxicology testing standards), SB6037 (fire protection districts) and SB6148 (Sound Transit bond term). OIR also briefed the council on SB6347 (a proposed 9.9% income tax on income above $1,000,000) and said allocation and details were likely to change as the bill moves through Ways & Means.
Council reaction and questioning: Council member Lynn pressed OIR on the near-term budget outlook and noted that revenues from proposals such as the millionaire’s tax would not be available until 2029 and could be delayed further by litigation. OIR staff confirmed that timing and said the February fiscal cutoff makes it difficult for budget writers to rely on revenues that will not materialize for several years.
Other topics covered in the OIR briefing included climate and energy bills affecting large energy-use facilities and transmission authority proposals, general-government legislation (including PRA changes and a stadium sales-tax diversion proposal), healthcare/behavioral health funding bills, housing and homelessness measures, public-safety and juvenile justice bills, and transportation permitting and pilot programs. OIR reiterated that many bills must clear fiscal committees during the cutoffs this week to stay live.
What’s next: OIR staff said they will follow up with the council offices with additional bill-specific information and that the legislature’s floor work and interchamber deadlines will continue through mid-February. The briefing concluded and council members moved on to proclamations and other business before convening an executive session on litigation.
Sources: Remarks by Mina Hashemi and OIR presenters during the Feb. 9, 2026 Seattle City Council briefing.
