Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I’ll begin by saying thanks to everyone who joined our recent town hall at the Fruitland Grange. The discussion was spirited at times but respectful, much like how we debate legislation in the Senate.
You should have received our 25th District delegation’s 2026 session report by mail. It highlights the three budgets adopted this session and includes an explanation of why the updated operating budget is as unstable as a house of cards. We also detail the new state income tax and how easily it can be expanded to affect everyone in our state.
Our report was already in the mail when a Thurston County judge halted the controversial “anti-sheriff” law (Senate Bill 5974) just one day before it took effect. This preliminary injunction allows a constitutional challenge from four Eastern Washington sheriffs to proceed.
I opposed SB 5974 because it’s one thing to set qualifications and standards of conduct for county sheriffs – and another to give an unelected state commission the power to decertify a sheriff who was elected by the people. That’s equivalent to removing the sheriff from office and is a clear example of state overreach trampling on local control.
Can legislators do anything to reduce gas prices?
Yes, but only if we are brought back to Olympia for a special session. The governor would have to call us in by issuing a proclamation – or the Legislature could call itself back, if two-thirds of the members in each chamber agree.
The only practical relief would come from suspending the state portion of the gas tax. It’s at 55.4 cents per gallon as of Jan. 1 and will go up another 2% on July 1 (the first of what will be annual 2% increases at mid-year!).
Georgia and Indiana have enacted gas-tax “holidays.” But nothing will do more to bring gas prices back down sooner than the end of the Iran conflict.
In the meantime, let’s put current prices in perspective, using data from the aaa.com website. Until this recent run of record prices, the highest average price recorded in our state for a gallon of regular gasoline was $5.55, in May 2022.
The average price in Washington was $4.28 a year ago. For comparison, the national average didn’t hit that mark until less than a month ago – well into the Iran conflict. That tells you how inflated gas prices have been in our state for a very long time.
Even though Washington’s 55.4-cent state gas tax is among the highest in the nation, it has less to do with the price we pay at the pump than the climate policies that function like a hidden gas tax. That brings us to another important, related question.
Why is my energy bill so high?
As far as I know, all of us in the 25th District get our electricity or natural gas from Puget Sound Energy. That means I’ve been seeing my PSE bill rise just like you have, and I know how frustrating it is.
Here are a couple of the concerns that have been emailed to me and my “seatmates” in the House of Representatives from constituents who are upset about their energy bills.
Puyallup resident “J” says his power consumption hasn’t changed yet his bill has more than doubled in less than a year and is now over $800 – and he knows the climate policies have had a role.
“I am a mortgage loan officer. I see everyday the struggles of anyone trying to purchase a home let alone trying to stay in one now. Property taxes are ridiculous. And now you add the greedy PSE bills, how do you honestly expect to reduce your deficit with a mass exodus of home owners. Don’t you see all the homes just sitting on the market? Don’t you see the number of homes that are listed? Look at what you people are doing to this beautiful, once wonderful state! You all should be ashamed you have let it get this bad! 800.00 for an electric bill for the month??? C’mon! How many people can afford this? I can’t and I make an ok living. Somebody needs to understand that taxing us out of our homes is reckless. The “investment” being made in futile “clean energy” programs has cost the state billions with absolutely devastating results! Maybe the average PSE executive salary of over 225,000.00 should be reviewed and the ridiculous taxes and fees lowered back to reality. Something needs to be done before it’s too late. You are bankrupting this state. You are bankrupting your constituents. Somebody please do something!!
The big increases at PSE and other utilities are definitely due to the costly programs J’s message mentions. All were created by legislation passed in Olympia at the request of former governor Jay Inslee: the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA), Climate Commitment Act (CCA, also called cap-and-tax) and the so-called “low-carbon” fuel standard that requires a costlier formulation of transportation fuels.
His message should be required reading for the legislators who passed those bills along with the policies that have led to high property taxes, Washington’s lack of affordable housing and the state budget shortfall. I assure you, none of them are supported by our 25th District delegation.
Richard, also writing from Puyallup, correctly points not only to the climate policies but also to the state Utilities and Transportation Commission, which regulates investor-owned utilities like PSE and has approved its rate increases.
“The [UTC] has been approving these changes without even thinking of the hardship this puts on customers. Many seniors and families with small children can no longer afford to heat their homes. I find this to be very cruel and nearly criminal. The climate act is causing a lot of this problem and the state needs to extend the deadlines of goals to meet reasonable costs. Data Centers and other high demand businesses should pay higher rates and/or produce their own power. Please put pressure on the Utility Commission to deny these increases and make changes to the Green Energy Act that has proven to make very little difference while costing billions of dollars.”
According to the UTC website, the agency’s mission is to “protect” the people of Washington by making sure utility and transportation services are “safe, equitable, available, reliable, and fairly priced.” Notice how price is last.
The three commissioners are appointed by and answer to the governor. As long as Governor Ferguson supports the Inslee climate policies, he’s not going to pressure the commission to say no to PSE rate increases, as my constituent Richard wants – not if PSE says the higher rates are driven by the cost of complying with the climate policies.
I met recently with a PSE representative about this, and shared the concerns I’m hearing about rates from the people I serve. As expected, I was told about the effect of climate policies. The company estimates its cost of complying with CETA is at $3.6 BILLION, and that doesn’t count the other laws. A look at the UTC’s December 2025 approval of PSE rate hikes (for 2026) shows the CCA as the top reason.
The commission is part of the executive branch so the Legislature has no control over it. All we can (and should) do is reform the climate laws that are causing PSE and other utilities to pursue rate increases. I and my fellow Republicans in the Senate have introduced a variety of reforms since the CCA was passed in 2021. Unfortunately, they have been rejected year after year — and it’s no mystery why, seeing how special interests in certain parts of our state have benefited from the billions of dollars grabbed through the CCA.
Click here to view a digital copy of our report on the 2026 session,
as posted on my Senate website.
Your Input Matters
I am committed to representing your interests effectively and I welcome your feedback and suggestions. You may contact me at:
- Chris.Gildon@leg.wa.gov
- 360-786-7648
It is an honor serving you and I look forward to your continued engagement and support!
Sincerely,
Sen. Chris Gildon, 25th Legislative District