January 2025 Updates
Governor Bob Ferguson
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, will become the state’s first new governor in more than a decade. Ferguson had been serving as attorney general since his election in 2012. He has prioritized fiscal responsibility, public safety, and how to respond to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Washington Legislature
Washington lawmakers kicked off the 2025 legislative session on January 13. During the session, which is scheduled to last 105 days, legislators will work to confront the $10-$12 billion budget deficit facing the state over the next four years.
Anti-Decarbonization Lawsuits
Pro and anti-decarbonization parties have filed competing lawsuits over the anti-building decarbonization effort, Initiative 2066, which Washington voters narrowly approved to ban state and local governments from encouraging decarbonization. The outcome of the lawsuits will decide the future of the state’s new energy-efficient building codes, along with other policies that encourage the use of heat pumps over gas furnaces.
The lawsuit filed by I-2066’s supporters calls on the court to enforce the ballot measure, by forcing a rollback of the state’s heat-pump-promoting building codes. The Building Industry Association of Washington filed its lawsuit against the Washington State Building Code Council, seeking to force the Council to quickly adopt anti-decarbonization changes through emergency rules.
The other lawsuit, filed by I-2066 opponents, seeks to overturn the ballot measure, arguing it addresses too many subjects under one initiative, violating the Washington Constitution, which limits legislation to a single subject. The city of Seattle and King County are among the plaintiffs challenging the initiative, joined by environmental groups and others.