For more than a century, Washingtonians have exercised a powerful constitutional tool: the initiative process. It exists so that, when the Legislature falters, or citizens feel ignored by the executive, legislative or judicial branches of our government, the people themselves can step forward with solutions and send them to Olympia for consideration.
Our state Constitution is very clear that “all political power is inherent in the people.” It is also clear that “the first power reserved by the people is the initiative” and “such initiative measures, whether certified or provisionally certified, shall take precedence over all other measures in the legislature” except budget bills.
The initiative process is not an afterthought. It is foundational. It is how everyday Washingtonians shape public policy, influence government decisions and ensure their voices matter.
This session, two citizen-led initiatives have been certified by the Secretary of State and sent to the Legislature, one protecting fairness in girls’ sports and another restoring parents’ rights in their children’s education. Each initiative garnered more than 400,000 signatures across the state. Together, they represent the voices of hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians who signed petitions to bring these measures forward.
Both are formally certified and submitted to lawmakers in January. These are not fringe ideas. They reflect broad public engagement from people across our state.
And yet, before a single formal hearing has been held, the majority party has made clear that it will not hear or act on either initiative in the House or the Senate.
Not one hearing. Not one opportunity for parents, students, athletes, educators or concerned citizens to speak directly to their lawmakers. That is not leadership. That is silencing the people.
Our state Constitution is clear: initiatives and bills that affect the budget should take precedence in legislative priorities.
I made that exact point on the House floor when I spoke against a motion to refer policy bills to committees for hearings, but did not schedule the initiatives for a hearing. Regardless of opinions on the substance of the initiatives, the Democratic majority's failure to follow the Constitution should concern everyone.
The people speak first. Lawmakers listen second. That is the contract between government and the governed. A contract that is being ignored.
Let’s begin with parents’ rights.
This is not a theoretical matter. In 2024, the Legislature passed a Parents’ Bill of Rights with strong bipartisan support. This law helps ensure parents can review instructional materials, access school records, and receive notification of significant actions involving their children. Families finally felt heard.
But in 2025, through House Bill 1296 and Senate Bill 5181, the majority party dismantled those protections. Core parental rights were quietly stripped away, leaving confusion and frustration in their wake. That breach of trust forced citizens to return to the initiative process to restore rights they had already won.
That should never have been necessary.
In a symbolic moment on the House floor last session, House Republicans stood to defend parents and ask for debate on the issue. Instead of discussion, the majority invoked a procedural maneuver not used in more than 130 years to end debate and force a vote abruptly, silencing lawmakers mid-dialogue on an issue that impacts every family in the state.
We are now seeing the same pattern repeat.
By refusing to grant hearings on either initiative, the majority party is not simply blocking legislation. They are blocking the people.
Parents want transparency in their children’s education. They want communication and clarity. Girls want the opportunity to compete fairly and safely in their sports. These are common-sense goals rooted in widely held values, not political fringe demands.
Yet even these conversations are not being allowed in committee rooms with microphones on and public testimony recorded.
That is where leadership comes in.
Since the majority has refused to open the Capitol’s doors, House and Senate Republicans have done so and will continue to do so.
House and Senate Republicans held two public listening sessions and invited everyone, supporters and opponents alike, to share their views. Parents spoke. Teachers spoke. Community members spoke. Students spoke. I was especially proud of the young female high school athletes from the 20th District who came and shared their experiences and concerns.
That is what responsive government looks like.
Leadership listens even when it disagrees. Leadership creates space for civil dialogue. Leadership lifts the voices of those who take time out of their days to show up, and not just in social media comments, but in person.
These initiatives should not be reduced to partisan fights. At their core, they are about whether government honors its responsibility to the people it serves. These issues are not about political parties. They are about real people with real stories to tell.
When hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians sign petitions and invest their energy in the initiative process, they are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for basic fairness. They are asking to be heard.
When Legislative Democrats refuse to hold hearings, it sends a clear message: your voices do not matter here.
But they do matter.
Political power in Washington does not belong to any political party. It belongs to the people. That is why the initiative process exists: to ensure citizens can step forward when they feel ignored or shut out.
The Legislature now faces a choice.
We can continue down a road where debate is cut off, hearings are denied, and families are sidelined, where government stops listening.
Or we can honor our Constitution and respect the initiative process by allowing these measures to be fully heard.
Hear the initiatives. Hear the parents. Hear the students. Hear the athletes. Hear Washington!
When government stops listening, public trust is at risk. Silencing parents and female athletes is not leadership. Listening is.
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Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Chehalis, represents the 20th Legislative District and is the House Republican Caucus chair.
