In what was a challenging fiscal and policy environment in both the Washington and Oregon legislative sessions, PROTEC17 was able to successfully advance many items on our political policy agenda that focused on protecting workers, strengthening public services, and building long‑term stability for the communities we serve.
Washington
In the 2026 session in Washington state, lawmakers acted on nearly all of the core priorities we identified at the start of the session, securing big wins for public health funding, social housing, progressive revenue, and more.
The passage of House Bill (HB) 2442 was a major win for public health and local government flexibility, allowing counties greater discretion in how public health clinic funding is structured and sustained. You can read more about this huge win for PROTEC17 members and all of the work that was involved on the next page.
Some progress was also made this session on broader workforce stability issues, including HB 1687, a pro‑housing measure that expands the ability of state and local governments to site and support social housing by adding it as a qualifying use under the Housing Cooperation Law. In addition, the Legislature passed the millionaire’s tax, a major victory that advances progressive revenue and helps protect essential public services and public sector jobs without resorting to cuts or layoffs.
One of the PROTEC17 priorities that did not advance this session was our effort to ensure workers have a voice in how artificial intelligence (AI) is implemented in public sector workplaces. Had it passed, HB 1622 / SB 5422 would have made the deployment of AI a mandatory subject of collective bargaining when it affects employment. While disappointing, this effort elevated critical concerns about transparency, job protections, and professional discretion as AI use expands. PROTEC17 remains committed to this issue and will continue building momentum to ensure technology strengthens – rather than undermines – public services and the workers who deliver them.
If you have any questions about the legislative session, want to get more involved with future efforts in Olympia, or want to learn more about other ways to become more politically active, please reach out to PROTEC17 Political Director Mark Watson, at .
Oregon
The 2026 Oregon legislative session drew to a close in early March after a short five-week session. Despite the tight timeline, several issues important to PROTEC17 members were addressed, with staff and members giving feedback and participating in discussions with legislators throughout the session.
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry (BOLI) is tasked with enforcing rules on wages, hours, and working conditions across the state, which includes the critical work of conducting investigations, negotiating settlements, and pursuing corrective action. However, the budget for BOLI has long left the agency understaffed, which has led to long wait times on this important work. This year, the Oregon legislature took important steps to shore up the BOLI budget, acknowledging the truth that the mere existence of rules protecting workers is meaningless if these rules are not enforced.
PROTEC17 also signed on to a package of immigrants’ rights bills that was assembled for the 2026 session, many of which were in response to the Federal actions in Portland and elsewhere earlier this year. Bills that passed include a ban on most uses of masks by law enforcement; protections for patients in hospitals against adverse immigration actions during their treatments; and rules changes about the admissibility of immigration status as evidence in court proceedings. PROTEC17 remains committed to supporting future bills and efforts to defend our communities and neighbors against harmful anti-immigrant actions.
Another issue we are monitoring at the local and State level is the push to increase construction development through the “streamlining” of the permitting process. While such efforts often aspire to make permitting an easier process for applicants, we have seen that, in practice, they result in mandated timelines and increased administrative burden for PROTEC17 members who work in permitting at the City of Portland. We have been engaging in conversations around this issue with other labor unions in an attempt to raise awareness of the critical work our members do, and to suggest alternatives that do not have negative impacts on permitting staff.
Finally, while most of the conversation this session around transportation funding centered around reallocations to the Oregon Department of Transportation, we continue to monitor this issue as it impacts our Portland Bureau of Transportation members who are funded primarily through fuel taxes. Pending court decisions, it appears likely that Oregon voters will decide on the future of the transportation revenue package on the upcoming May 2026 ballot. PROTEC17 will seek to provide support for this ballot measure whenever it reaches voters.
For more information about the Oregon legislative session or to get involved in our Oregon political program, please contact PROTEC17 Legislative Advocate Elliot Levin at .