In the long fight for social justice and progress, sometimes the best offense is a good defense.

That was the case this year in Olympia, where the folks at Statewide Poverty Action Network and our other partners worked tirelessly in a short eight-week legislative session to limit the harm to our neighbors from federal cuts to critical safety-net programs. And along the way, they pulled off huge victories as well – passing landmark legislation to help address Washington state’s upside-down tax code and maintain the level of social services our communities rely on. 

These victories include:  

• Passing the Millionaire’s Tax, which will generate an estimated $3.4 billion annually to pay for critical services including education, healthcare, food security, and more.

• Massively expanding eligibility for the Working Families Tax Credit, allowing more than 1.2 million additional people and families living on low and medium incomes – including more than 300,000 children – to get much-needed money back at tax time.

• Maintaining strong regulations on payday loans by keeping in place protections that keep folks from getting trapped in predatory high-interest loans.

• Protecting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for youth in extended foster care by ending Washington’s shameful practice of garnishing SSI payments for these young people. 

Learn more about this year’s legislative victories – and a few missed opportunities – in Poverty Action’s blog post: 2026 Legislative Recap and Final Budget Analysis.