WA Gov. Bob Ferguson set his priorities. Which ones survived the 2025 session?
During his mid-January inaugural address, Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson gave shout-outs to multiple bills, including some by Republicans.
The 2025 regular legislative session ended on April 27. Scores of bills and the state’s beleaguered operating budget were adopted ahead of adjournment.
So, which Ferguson-endorsed bills did — and didn’t — land on his desk?
Asked about his priorities after a bill-signing April 28, Ferguson said he feels “very positive” about how many the Washington Legislature passed. And he looks forward to refocusing on the items that didn’t make it past the finish line later on.
“No one bats 1,000 in this world,” Ferguson said. “So I felt we really worked well together as a Legislature.”
Ferguson noted that, as a new governor, lawmakers had to get used to him and vice versa. Over time that relationship improved, he said.
But there were major challenges this session, too, he said. The state was grappling with a significant budget shortfall, and lawmakers mourned the losses of state Sen. Bill Ramos, former House Speaker Frank Chopp, former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, and the wife of Republican state Sen. Chris Gildon, Autumn.
“I mean, there was a lot going on this session, even beyond the difficult work,” Ferguson said. “And so I appreciate everybody leaning into it.”
Here’s how some of Ferguson’s key issues fared this session.
Homes for Heroes
During his inaugural address, Ferguson name-checked state Rep. April Connors, a Kennewick Republican, and her “Homes for Heroes” bill. The governor underscored the contributions of firefighters, law enforcement officers, behavioral-health workers and other public servants, and argued that they should have access to low-interest loans when buying their first home.
House Bill 1022 was passed by the House Committee on Housing in mid-January but stalled out in another committee not long after and never made it to the House floor.
Relief for farmers
State Rep. Tom Dent, a Moses Lake Republican, sponsored legislation aimed at ensuring farmers receive the fuel exemptions they’d been guaranteed under the Climate Commitment Act. Ferguson said during his inaugural speech that he shares Dent’s commitment to backing Washington’s farmers.
HB 1912 was passed and sent to Ferguson April 26 and will soon become law.
Youth mental health
The governor thanked Democratic state Reps. Sharon Tomiko Santos of Seattle and Lisa Callan of Issaquah during his Jan. 15 address, emphasizing their work on improving youth mental health.
Callan’s HB 1272 extends a program that assists in linking vulnerable young people to crucial services and living arrangements. Ferguson signed the bill into law April 25.
Governor’s emergency powers
Ferguson on Jan. 15 acknowledged Senate Minority Leader John Braun of Centralia, saying he hoped to work with the Republican to impose reasonable restrictions on the governor’s emergency powers. “We can do that together,” Ferguson said.
State Rep. Keith Wagoner, a Sedro Woolley Republican, sponsored such a bill, but it sputtered out after clearing the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs and Elections. In March, Ferguson pledged to limit his own emergency authority following the bill’s apparent collapse, as reported by the Washington State Standard.
Automatic acceptance to state institutions
Ferguson highlighted a bill by state Rep. Julia Reed, a Seattle Democrat, during his Jan. 15 speech.
“Representative Reed: Your proposal to ensure that every Washingtonian with a 3.0 GPA receives automatic acceptance into many of our exceptional state institutions of higher education should be adopted by this Legislature,” he said. “And I look forward to signing it.”
HB 1557, which would have established the Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program, passed one House committee before getting stuck in another.
$100 million for police hiring
Washington ranks last in the number of law enforcement officers per capita, a stat that Ferguson cited during his inauguration. He thanked state Sen. Jeff Holy, a Cheney Republican, for a bill proposing a $100 million grant program to help hire more police.
But Senate Bill 5060 isn’t what ultimately made it to Ferguson.
The vehicle for the $100-million-for-law-enforcement request was enshrined in House Bill 2015 by state Rep. Debra Entenman, a Kent Democrat. It aims to improve public safety funding by providing resources to local governments and criminal justice agencies. It also authorizes a local option tax for these purposes.
That was delivered to the governor April 25 but has yet to be signed.
Barring other states’ National Guards
A Ferguson priority that was realized this session: state Rep. Sharlett Mena’s House Bill 1321. The governor noted that the Tacoma Democrat’s proposal aims to stop other states’ militias from coming into Washington to impose any president’s agenda.
The law took immediate effect April 21. Ferguson said at the bill signing that it’s modeled after a similar measure in Idaho.
“We just cannot allow as a state to have armed forces come into our home and enforce policies that are against our core values,” Ferguson said.
Universal free school meals
A bipartisan push to ensure universal free meals for the state’s K-12 students didn’t reach Ferguson, who’d requested such a measure.
State Sen. Marcus Riccelli of Spokane and Rep. April Berg of Mill Creek — both Democrats — spearheaded the effort in their respective chambers. Each bill received public hearings but neither got a committee vote.
This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 2:10 PM.
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