2026 Legislative Priorities

Expanding housing options to support families and workforce development.  Attainable housing is essential to the health of families and the strength of the local workforce. In Skagit County, the shortage of available housing drives up costs, forces families to relocate, and discourages workers from living and working in the community. Without meaningful solutions, employers will continue to face challenges attracting and retaining the talent needed to sustain agriculture, manufacturing, maritime, and service industries.

Key Challenges: 

• Rising housing costs place significant financial burdens on families and reduce disposable income.
• A lack of affordable workforce housing deters potential employees from relocating to or remaining in Skagit County.
• Limited housing availability restricts growth opportunities for local businesses that need a stable and reliable workforce.
• Restrictions on development that are no longer needed.

Proposed Solutions: 

• Support state and local policies that increase housing supply through zoning flexibility, expedited permitting, and reduced barriers for new development.
• Implement a cost analysis on energy codes, to balance up front costs and future savings.
• Expand tax incentives and public-private partnerships to encourage the construction of affordable and workforce housing.
• Invest in infrastructure and community amenities that make housing developments viable and attractive to working families.
• Prioritize multi-family housing more highly.
• Growth Management Act should evolve with the need for housing.

Addressing the rising cost of doing business in Washington. The cost of doing business in our state is escalating significantly, some of which is passed along to residents, compounding the affordability crisis. Additionally, the tax burden on businesses relative to other states is quite high, reducing their ability to compete.

Key Challenges: 

• Regulations that have recently taken effect along with those scheduled to be implemented in 2026, particularly in employment law, are quite expensive for businesses and more are expected.
• The business tax burden in WA places us 45^th overall in competitiveness, in 2025. In 2022, the state and local taxes paid by WA businesses, was 18.8% above the national average.
• State predictive scheduling laws are likely to be proposed again.
• Lack of accountability on infrastructure projects.
• Unsustainable minimum wage increases.

Proposed Solutions: 

• Reduce the tax burden on businesses to preserve their vital role in the economy.
• Reexamine current budget/spending before adding new taxes.
• Do the fiscal analysis and disclose impacts of proposed state taxes on businesses.
• Carefully consider and balance the added costs to businesses of regulations such as predictive scheduling, with the needs of employees. 

Businesses in Skagit County face hiring challenges due to the lack of qualified applicants, coupled with the high cost of living, limited transportation options, and inadequate childcare services. Addressing these issues will support employee retention and attract new talent to the area.

Key Challenges:

• Inadequate workforce development for employer needs.
• Insufficient childcare availability limits workforce participation.
• Public transportation inadequacies hinder commuting for employees.
• The lack of attainable housing challenges employee and employer retention and attraction.

Proposed Solutions:

• Workforce training that matches regional employer needs.
• Expand state funding for childcare providers, including tax breaks for businesses offering on-site childcare.
• Increase investments in regional transportation infrastructure to improve accessibility for commuters.

Reliable infrastructure is critical for Skagit County’s business community to function efficiently and support growth. Aging infrastructure and increasing energy demands pose significant risks to economic stability.

Key Challenges:

• Electrical grid reliability is inadequate for current and future demand, threatening operational continuity for businesses, especially in tech and manufacturing sectors.
• Aging bridges and ferry system hinder transportation and commerce.
• Aging municipal infrastructure and inability to expand housing and commercial/industrial development.

Proposed Solutions:

• Accelerate funding for long-term maintenance plans, including modernizing the electrical grid and integrating renewable energy options.
• Prioritize state investment in repairing and upgrading aging transportation and municipal infrastructure, including key bridges and ferries.

Investing in education ensures a capable and competitive workforce for the future. Skagit County businesses depend on a well-educated workforce to remain innovative and meet industry demands. Current challenges include insufficient funding for early childhood education and educators. There are limited career pathways for students, due to the burden of unfunded mandates on local schools.

Key Challenges:

• Inadequate support for trade education and secondary education pathways limits career opportunities.
• Early childhood education remains underfunded, affecting workforce readiness in the long term.
• Lack of state accountability in funding allocations leaves schools unable to meet mandates.

Proposed Solutions:

• Advocate for increased funding for trade schools and apprenticeships alongside traditional college programs.
• Support state-level grants for early childhood education centers and workforce scholarships.
• Require transparent reporting and fully funding of the use of state education funds to ensure mandates are adequately supported.

Accessible healthcare, including behavioral health services, directly impacts the productivity and well-being of Skagit County’s workforce. Small businesses, in particular, struggle with the prohibitive cost and limited options for employee health insurance.

Key Challenges:

• Insufficient behavioral health resources increase public safety concerns and affect employee wellness.
• A lack of competition among health insurance providers drives up premiums, limiting small business affordability.

Proposed Solutions:

• Advocate for state policies that attract additional health insurance providers to Washington, increasing competition and offering more affordable options for businesses. This could include easing regulatory barriers for out-of-state insurers or creating a statewide health insurance exchange tailored to small businesses.
• Expand funding for mental health initiatives to ensure accessible services in rural and underserved areas.