Rep. Chris Stearns makes his first appearance on Capitol Ideas today, and you need to know him. He started out fast in his first two terms: vice chair of two key committees, sponsor of several successful bills, and an outspoken advocate of bipartisanship
Capitol Ideas: The Washington State House Democratic Caucus PodcastShow Notes
Before he was sent to be their voice in Olympia by the good people of the 47th district, Rep. Chris Stearns already had a full resume. He's an accomplished attorney working with tribes throughout the nation. He's done a stint with the federal Energy Department. He was a Democratic committee counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now we've got him, and you'll meet him today.
More from Capitol Ideas: The Washington State House Democratic Caucus Podcast
The 2026 session is in the books, and it will always be known as the year when Washington’s upside-down tax code began the long process of righting itself. Rep. April Berg was one of the leaders in that effort, and she joins us today.
In today’s special edition of Capitol Ideas, Washington State Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins looks back at the historic 2026 legislative session and previews the 105-day session that will begin next January. The 60-day sprint that ended last month in Olympia was a short session for Washington State lawmakers, a time when, traditionally, adjustments are made to budgets written the previous year and leftover bills from the long session make a final push for the finish line. This year was different, with historic challenges and equally significant responses from legislators. In today’s Capitol Ideas, Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins summarizes the session and offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how representative government works in the Evergreen State.
Rep. Shaun Scott is an interesting fellow. Smarter than anyone deserves to be, laser-focused on public service, and impatient to use his position as a state legislator to improve lives in every corner of Washington. He just wrapped up his second session in the House, and he’s here today on Capitol Ideas.
When Rep. Shelley Kloba drops by the Capitol Ideas HQ, you know we’re going to talk about online privacy and all things related. But wait, there’s more! Much more, so give us the next 20 minutes.
Rep. Mary Fosse was on her first picket line three months shy of her first birthday, and she’s been a lifelong ally of workers and the labor movement in Washington and beyond. She puts that passion to work as vice chair of the House panel that deals with labor issues, and helps keep the chamber running smoothly as deputy majority floor leader. There are more sides to her than these, though, and we’ll explore several on today’s Capitol Ideas.