Episode Details

As the 2026 Washington State legislative session gets underway, Jeff Slakey checks in with Drew MacEwen, State Senator for the 35th District and Deputy Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus.

MacEwen shares his reaction to the Governor’s State of the State address, raising concerns about continued tax increases, rising costs for families, and what he describes as a growing disconnect between Olympia and working-class Washingtonians. The conversation digs into property taxes, labor and fuel costs, and how those pressures are showing up at kitchen tables across Mason and Thurston counties.

The discussion also covers education funding and local school levies, including unfunded mandates placed on districts, declining test scores despite high per-pupil spending, and what MacEwen believes needs to change to stabilize K-12 education.

Later, MacEwen weighs in on public safety and governance issues, including a proposal that could allow an unelected commission to remove elected sheriffs, as well as the growing strain on county public defense systems and the need for more state involvement.

This is a wide-ranging, candid conversation focused on budgets, priorities, and the real-world impacts of legislative decisions during a short, fast-moving session in Olympia.

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