WSU Opposes Governor’s 2026 Operating Budget

The Legislature reconvened in Olympia on Monday as it began its 60 day 2026 Legislative Session with the governor’s proposed operating budget being heard that afternoon. 

Among priorities of increasing affordable housing and addressing reductions in federal spending, state lawmakers are grappling with a budget deficit of more than $2 billion resulting from slower than anticipated growth in tax collections. This deficit is required to be balanced by the Legislature before it adjourns in March.

In the first step to the budget development process, late last month Governor Bob Ferguson released his proposed supplemental operating budget. The proposal would balance the budget by enacting spending reductions across state government, closing tax preferences, and tapping the state’s emergency budget stabilization account.

Included in the cuts proposed by the governor are a reduction of 3.2 percent to WSU’s state appropriation, totaling about $11.1 million. The proposal would also dramatically increase WSU’s self-insurance premium, relying on about $7 million in tuition revenue that does not exist to cover nearly half of the increase.

“WSU has already cut its budget every year for the last four years, reducing annual spending by $52 million,” said WSU Director of State Relations Chris Mulick during committee testimony on the governor’s proposed operating budget late Monday.

You can watch WSU’s full testimony below and read more about what the reductions mean for the university, including information about reductions already made, in President Cantwell’s statement to faculty and staff here.

The House and the Senate will now begin development on their own supplemental operating budget proposals before they reach a final agreement.

The 2026 Legislative Session is set to adjourn Sine Die on March 12th.

This post originally appeared on WSU’s External Affairs & Government Relations blog. See more here.