The 2026 legislative session has officially come to an end. After 60 days in Olympia, it was one of the more intense — and exhausting — sessions in recent memory. Like every session, some positive things happened. But several major decisions made by the majority will have long-term consequences for Washington taxpayers — most notably...

OLYMPIA — Legislation sponsored by Sen. Matt Boehnke to strengthen protections against AI-generated impersonations and other digital misuse of a person’s identity was signed into law today, Monday, March 16, by Gov. Bob Ferguson. Substitute Senate Bill 5886 updates Washington’s personality rights law to address the growing use of artificial intelligence to create realistic but...

OLYMPIA — Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, released the following statement after the Legislature gave final approval to Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6346, legislation establishing a new state income tax on individuals earning more than $1 million annually. “I strongly condemn the passage of this income tax. It’s being marketed as a ‘millionaire’s tax,’ but if...

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Legislature has approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Matt Boehnke to improve how students track their progress on state and federal financial aid applications. Substitute Senate Bill 5841 aims to integrate financial aid application data into Washington’s universal High School and Beyond Plan platform, allowing students, families, and authorized school staff...

OLYMPIA… Katalyna Contreras, an eighth-grader at Kiona-Benton City Middle School, recently spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Contreras was one of 25 students who served as Senate pages for the eighth week of the 2026 legislative session. She was sponsored by Sen. Matt Boehnke,...

OLYMPIA… Josie Chapin, a junior at Hanford High School in Richland, recently spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate in Olympia. Chapin was one of 23 students who served as Senate pages for the sixth week of the 2026 legislative session. She was sponsored by Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, who...