As the 2026 Washington State Legislative Session gets underway on Jan. 12, the Washington Association of Wheat Growers is preparing for a short, intense session that is likely to bring some challenges. While wheat growers will be formalizing state and national priorities for the year at the Jan. 13 state…
Editor’s note: This transcript of an interview with Rep. Dent has been edited for clarity and length. What are your priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session? We did a bill here two, three years ago about the use of aircraft and wildfire, the Aviation Assurance Funding bill. That bill allowed…
What are your priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session? While I am working on a variety of policy proposals, including textile recycling to take on the impacts of fast fashion on our waste streams, tobacco/vape regulation to protect our kids, natural resource policy that provides balance between the state’s economic…
What are your priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session? Agriculture in our state is at a critical juncture; its viability is a top priority this session. We’ve all watched the impacts on agricultural operations from burdensome and costly labor policies and incessant regulations. I want to focus on alleviating that…
Editor’s note: This transcript of an interview with Sen. Chapman has been edited for clarity and length. What are your priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session? I try to run the committee in a collaborative format, so my priorities will be what the committee’s priorities are. I’ll certainly see what…
An offhand comment about a crop insurance sales closing date during the January board meeting of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) sent Ben Thiel on a quest to see if he could streamline a crop insurance deadline to help growers for the 2026 crop year. Thanks to a…
Earlier this year, Jon Wyss was reappointed as state executive director of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for the third time. A lot has changed since his first term in 2019, and we wanted to know what keeps bringing him back, and what’s happening at the Washington state FSA office…
A Whitman County stream, parts of which run dry in the summer, is causing tensions between landowners and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). Whitman County landowners who own land along Spring Flat Creek are being told by Ecology that they are polluting the waterway and will have to…
In a recently released report, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is tackling ag viability in the face of a changing climate and figuring out ways to help farmers come out ahead. Published in March 2025, the “WSDA Climate Resilience Plan for Washington Agriculture” is designed to support the…
The start of a new administration usually brings a flurry of activity, and the second Trump administration is no exception. Fortunately, Jake Westlin, vice president of policy and communications for the National Association of Wheat Growers, was on hand to walk growers through what’s happening on the Hill as part…
