The 2026 legislative session is in the books, but judging if it was successful will depend on whether you’re pleased with most of the outcomes.
Although much of the session was covered by various news outlets, some actions taken during the session never made it to a news desk. The unfortunate truth is sometimes these actions are the most telling.
kAmx H@F=5 =:<6 E@ 9:89=:89E E9C66 2EE6>AED @776C65 FA 7@C =68:D=2E:@? E9:D J62C E92E H@F=5 92G6 D:8?:7:42?E=J :>AC@G65 E96 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 7@C 323:6D 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D] ~?6 H2D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 4@DE E96 E2IA2J6CD 2 5:>6]k^Am
kAmx? C625:?8 E96D6 DE@C:6D 2D 2 3F?5=6[ :E D9@F=5 36 6G:56?E E@ >@DE H6 92G6 2 8:2?E 5:D4@??64E[ 2?5 @FC J@F?8 49:=5C6? 2C6 DF776C:?8 2E E96 92?5D @7 6=64E65 @77:4:2=D] xE :D ECF6 323:6D 42??@E G@E6[ 3FE E96:C 72>:=:6D 42?] {68:D=2E@CD ?665 E@ 36 C6>:?565 @7 E96:C C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E@ E96 6=64E@C2E6]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= J62CD 28@[ v@G] %2E6 #66G6D HC@E6 2? 65:E@C:2= E:E=65 “%96 }6H !C@\{:76 p86?52” H9:49 4=62C=J DE2E65 E92E E96 AC@\=:76 >@G6>6?E >FDE 36 >@C6 E92? 2?E:\23@CE:@?[ 3FE 96 @776C65 76H DA64:7:4D 23@FE A=2?D E@ :>AC@G6 E96 =:G6D @7 >@E96CD 2?5 323:6D :? |:DD:DD:AA: — 2 DE2E6 E92E C2?<D =2DE :? E96 4@F?ECJ :? >@DE :?5:42E@CD @7 49:=5 H6==\36:?8]k^Am
kAmx? E9:D =68:D=2E:G6 D6DD:@?[ E96 v@G6C?@C >:DD65 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ @? D6G6C2= 7C@?ED]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= 3:\A2CE:D2? 3:==D H6C6 DA@?D@C65 E92E H@F=5 92G6 6=:>:?2E65 DE2E6 D2=6D E2I @? 5:2A6CD] %96 D2G:?8D E@ A2C6?ED H6C6 6DE:>2E65 2E 2AAC@I:>2E6=J Sff A6C J62C[ A6C 49:=5] (9:=6 E9:D 2>@F?E D66>D >:?:D4F=6 E@ D@>6[ :E 2==@HD A2C6?ED E@ AFC492D6 @E96C :E6>D ?66565 7@C 323:6D’ 56G6=@A>6?E]k^Am
kAm%9:D =68:D=2E:@?[ :7 :E 925 A2DD65[ H@F=5 92G6 366? 2E ?@ 4@DE E@ E96 DE2E6] %96 AC@46DD @7 >@G:?8 =68:D=2E:@? :D 4@>A=6I 2?5 2E E:>6D ?@?D6?D:42=] u@C E96 5:2A6C D2=6D E2I 6I6>AE:@? 3:== E@ >@G6 E@H2C5 A2DD286[ :E H2D 2EE24965 E@ 2 3:== E92E H@F=5 2==@H 8F? D276 AFC492D6D 7@C @?6 H66<6?5 2 J62C E@ 36 D2=6D\E2I 6I6>AE] %96 G@E6 3J E96 =68:D=2EFC6 C6DF=E65 :? 8F? D276D 36:?8 6I6>AE 7C@> D2=6D E2I[ 3FE D2=6D E2I 7@C 5:2A6C AFC492D6D 7@C 323:6D 72:=65 2?5 H2D C6>@G65]k^Am
kAm{6E E92E D:?< :?i 8F? D276D H6C6 2 =68:D=2E:G6 AC:@C:EJ @G6C 5:2A6CD] #6AF3=:42? $6?] r925 |4|292? H2D 2 492>A:@? 7@C A2C6?ED 2?5 323:6D :? H92E EFC?65 :?E@ 2 5:DA=2J @7 A2CE:D2? 3692G:@C]k^Am
kAm%96C6 :D ?@ 2C8F>6?E E92E 962=E9J 72>:=:6D ?665 E@ 62E 962=E9J 7@@5D] u@C J62CD[ |:DD:DD:AA: 92D 366? C2?<65 H:E9 2 9:89 C2E6 @7 7@@5 :?D64FC:EJ] %9:D >62?D 72>:=:6D 92G6 DF49 =@H :?4@>6D[ 6G6? H@C<:?8 EH@ @C >@C6 ;@3D C6BF:C6D E96> E@ >2<6 =:76\2=E6C:?8 49@:46D 6G6CJ >@?E9 E@ DFCG:G6]k^Am
kAmxD :E A2J:?8 C6?E @C 3FJ:?8 8C@46C:6Dn |65:4:?6 7@C 2 962CE 4@?5:E:@? @C E96 FE:=:E:6Dn r=@E96D @C 2 42C ?@E6n ~? 2?5 @? :E 8@6D]k^Am
kAm%96 $FAA=6>6?E2= }FEC:E:@? pDD:DE2?46 !C@8C2> W$}p!X AC@G:56D >@?E9=J 7@@5 36?67:ED E@ BF2=:7J:?8 =@H\:?4@>6 72>:=:6D] %9:D :D 56D:8?65 E@ C65F46 D:EF2E:@?D @7 7@@5 :?D64FC:EJ] |:DD:DD:AA: %@52J C6A@CE65 E92E =68:D=2E:@? 5:65 E92E H@F=5 92G6 AC6G6?E65 E2IA2J6CD 7C@> A2J:?8 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 2 7:?6 @7 2AAC@I:>2E6=J S`a_ >:==:@? 2 J62C 3642FD6 E96 C6A@CE:?8 DJDE6> FD65 :? E96 A2DE 3J |:DD:DD:AA: 92D 366? G:6H65 3J E96 8@G6C?>6?E 2D 9FCE:?8 E96 A@@C[ H2DE:?8 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 C6D@FC46D 2?5 >2J 4@DE E96 DE2E6 >:==:@?D D@@?]k^Am
kAm%96 D6DD:@? 25;@FC?65 H:E9@FE 2 C6D@=FE:@? 2?5 2 9@A6 E96 AC6D:56?E H:== 8:G6 E96 DE2E6 2 H2:G6C] xE D9@F=5 36 ?@E65 E92E E96 72:=FC6 E@ A2DD =68:D=2E:@? H2D 2>@?8 #6AF3=:42?D H9@ 4@F=5 ?@E 28C66 @? E96 AC@46DD E@ DF3>:E E@ E96 7656C2= 286?4J]k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= ?6HD 762EFC6D @? G2C:@FD >65:2 92G6 9:89=:89E65 E96 49:=5 42C6 DE277 D9@CE286D 2?5 AC@3=6>D H@C<:?8 A2C6?ED 92G6 :? 7:?5:?8 277@C523=6 49:=5 42C6] x? E96 A2DE `a >@?E9D @G6C `c_ 49:=5 42C6 46?E6CD 92G6 4=@D65 2?5 @E96CD 92G6 C65F465 E96 ?F>36C @7 49:=5C6? E96J 92G6 DE277 E@ 42C6 7@C] pD A2CE @7 E96 7656C2= DFAA@CE E@ 56G6=@A E96 H@C<7@C46 :? DE2E6D[ 7F?5D 2C6 2==@42E65 E@ AC@G:56 2DD:DE2?46 E@ :?4@>6 6=:8:3=6 H@C<:?8 A2C6?ED 7@C E96 AC@G:D:@? @7 49:=5 42C6] |@DE DE2E6D 4@>3:?6 DE2E6 2AAC@AC:2E65 >@?6J E@ 8C@H E96 E@E2= E@ D6CG6 E96 >2I:>F> ?F>36C @7 72>:=:6D A@DD:3=6]k^Am
kAm%96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 2==@42E65 2 =2C86 DF> @7 >@?6J E@ 6249 DE2E6 5FC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4 E@ DFAA@CE H@C<:?8 A2C6?ED 5FC:?8 E96 E:>6 7C2>6] %96 7F?5:?8 92D 6IA:C65 2?5 C6EFC?65 E@ AC6\r~'xs =6G6=D] %96 =@DD 92D C6DF=E65 :? E96 49:=5C6? 36:?8 E2<6? @77 E96 AC@8C2> 2?5 72>:=:6D 7@C465 E@ D66< @E96C 42C6] #646?E 6DE:>2E6D 2C6 `d[___ 49:=5C6? 2C6 @? E96 H2:E:?8 =:DE 7@C 49:=5 42C6 D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAm%@ DF>>2C:K6[ E96 |:DD:DD:AA: s6A2CE>6?E @7 wF>2? $6CG:46D W|sw$X 49@D6 ?@E E@ C6BF6DE DE2E6 3F586E 24E:@? E@ AC@G:56 DE2E6 5@==2CD E@ @77D6E E96 5:>:?:D965 7F?5D 7@C 49:=5 42C6 2DD:DE2?46] x?DE625[ |sw$ C6BF6DE65 S`d >:==:@? E92E H2D 2==@42E65 7@C 49:=5 42C6 =2DE J62C E@ 255C6DD $}p! AC@3=6>D] |2?J =68:D=2E@CD 7C@> 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 2:D=6 H@C<65 5:=:86?E=J 2?5 AC6D6?E65 @AE:@?D 7@C |sw$ E@ 4@?D:56C 2?5 H6C6 E@=5 :562D H6C6 36:?8 :?G6DE:82E65 @C 4@?D:56C65]k^Am
kAm%@ 52E6[ ?@E9:?8 92D @44FCC65] x7 2?@E96C J62C A2DD6D 2?5 ?@ 7F?5D 2C6 :?4C62D65 7@C 49:=5 42C6[ >@C6 49:=5 42C6 46?E6CD H:== 4=@D6[ >@C6 H@C<6CD >FDE BF:E E96:C ;@3D 2?5 E96 4C:D:D H:== 566A6?]k^Am
kAm}6HDA2A6C 9625=:?6D 2C6 :?E6?565 E@ 5C2H C6256CD :?E@ E96 DE@C:6D] ~?6 :>A@CE2?E 724E 23@FE E96 $}p! DE@CJ H2D @>:EE65 7C@> E96 2CE:4=6] }6H 6=:8:3:=:EJ CF=6D 7@C $}p! A2CE:4:A2E:@? C6BF:C6 E96 25F=E :? E96 9@>6 H@C< @C G@=F?E66C g_ 9@FCD 2 >@?E9 :? 255:E:@? E@ :?4@>6 6=:8:3:=:EJ] %96C6 :D ?@E9:?8 F?C62D@?23=6 23@FE E96 CF=6[ E96 :DDF6 :D :7 49:=5 42C6 :D ?@E 2G2:=23=6[ 9@H H:== H@C<:?8 36 2? @AE:@?nk^Am
kAm!F3=:4 D49@@=D C646:G65 2EE6?E:@?[ 7F?5:?8 2?5 24E:@?[ H96E96C 8@@5 @C 325 E9:D D6DD:@?] p== E9:D E2=< 23@FE E96 |:DD:DD:AA: |:C24=6 :D E:C6D@>6 2?5 5:DC6DA64E7F= E@ E62496CD] xE 2=D@ A6CA6EF2E6D E96 :562 =62C?:?8 368:?D 2E AC6\<:?56C82CE6?] {62C?:?8 368:?D 2E 3:CE9[ 2?5 @FC DE2E6 =6256CD 92G6 6:E96C 7@C8@EE6?[ 2C6 :8?@C2?E @7 E92E 724E[ @C 5@ ?@E 42C6]k^Am
kAm%96 C62= >:C24=6 H:== 36 H96? DE2E6 5@==2CD 2C6 :?G6DE65 :? AC6?2E2= 2?5 >2E6C?2= 42C6 6IE6?5:?8 E@ E96 323J’D 7:CDE J62CD @7 =:76 AC:@C E@ D49@@= 6?ECJ]k^Am
