During her five years in the Legislature, state Rep. Jamila Taylor has tackled several heavy issues, the latest being tort reform.
Although the Legislature has not so far reined in the budget-straining costs associated with lawsuits against the state, Taylor, who chairs the Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee, plans to give it another try in 2027. Voters of the 30th Legislative District should return her to Olympia.
“There’s not one single bill that will fix this,” the Federal Way Democrat told The Times editorial board of tort reform. “One of the problems we have is the lack of predictability. How do we navigate through the different types of claims and the lack of predictability?”
Washington, which is self-insured, ended its fiscal year June 30 with a $614 million tab for legal fees, jury awards and settlements for lawsuits against the state and tort claims. In 2017, the tab was about $200 million.
Among ideas that will be considered is putting a cap on the amount the state can pay out for awards and settlements. At least 33 states have such limits.
There may be some things “that we may have to have the courts readdress now.” When some of those “decisions were made 40 years ago it was under different circumstances,” Taylor said.
“We have to find ways to make the survivors (of state actions) whole but also not completely overturn our budgeting process,” she said.
Budget woes pushed the state to implement an income tax on millionaires, and Taylor voted for it. As for the chances of the income threshold being lowered below $1 million, Taylor said it’s possible future lawmakers may want to change it. “I would prefer not to touch it while I’m in office,” she said.
Taylor said it is “reasonable” to give tax relief to businesses. “We’re relying too heavily on businesses to help us meet the needs of what Washingtonians are saying what we need.”
Taylor was instrumental in the creation and funding of the Homeownership Covenant Program in 2023 that provides down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers whose families had been harmed by discriminatory policies. In 2025 she sponsored House Bill 1696, which raised the income eligibility from 100% of the area median income to 120% and added loan forgiveness after five years for households earning 80% or less of AMI.
Taylor’s House Bill 1385, signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson, authorized the Washington State Patrol to join 35 other states to share criminal records for background checks done on caregivers for people with physical or developmental disabilities. The shared effort reduced the time it takes agencies to conduct background checks.
Taylor has also been a supporter of transparency in government. Unlike some of her colleagues, she has never invoked legislative privilege, a practice that allows public officials to shield from the public certain communications.
Taylor’s time in Olympia has been well spent. The voters of the 30th District should invest two more years in her legislative prowess with their vote.
