State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, one of the chief architects of legislation to cap rent hikes across Washington, says Gov. Bob Ferguson’s team has made clear to lawmakers since the second week of the legislative session, back in January, that he supports the measure.
But even with the bill approved by the Legislature and awaiting his signature, Ferguson repeatedly declined to take a public stance on it. He finally did so Wednesday when pressed about Trudeau’s comments.
The situation has stoked frustration for Trudeau, who would like to see the legislation swiftly enacted. It also underscores Ferguson’s reluctance to weigh in publicly on many of the biggest policy debates that unfolded over the past four months, ahead of the session wrapping up Sunday.
“I don’t want to assign any nefarious motives,” Trudeau, D-Tacoma, said in an interview Wednesday. “I honestly feel confused.”
There’ve been other frictions between Democratic lawmakers and the first-term Democratic governor during his opening months in office, including over Ferguson’s opposition to their wealth tax and other revenue proposals amid a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.
“This confusion, this last-minute position or non-position, that feels pretty on-par for what it’s felt like,” Trudeau said.
Talking to reporters Friday about the rent legislation, House Bill 1217, and another controversial bill to give unemployment benefits to workers on strike, the governor said “there’s different perspectives on those bills within the Democratic caucus, and I respect that.”
At the time, lawmakers were on the cusp of passing both bills after extensive debate.
“We’re having conversations, and want to be helpful, and I’m confident they’ll get to a resolution on both those bills and get those to my desk, but we’re letting that process play out,” continued Ferguson.
‘I want to be proud of him’
On Wednesday, the governor’s communications director, Brionna Aho, said in a statement that the governor’s office has a process to “thoroughly review” bills after they pass. “The governor has rarely offered public comment on bills prior to the completion of that process,” Aho said.
“The governor is supportive of the policy, but we need to complete our process before he offers further comment,” she said of the rent bill.
Aho pointed out that there have been multiple versions of the legislation and that changes were still being made to it in the final two days of the session.
But the main goal of the proposal — to cap rent increases across the state — has remained the same for months.
The bill would limit annual rent increases to 7% plus inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower, for the next 15 years. It would also allow for only 5% rent hikes for manufactured homes in perpetuity. Landlords also wouldn’t be able to raise rents in the first 12 months of a tenancy. New construction would be exempt for its first 12 years.
As lawmakers hammered out these details throughout the session, Ferguson’s staff told them the governor would sign whatever final compromise they reached, said Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, the chair of the House Housing Committee.
Trudeau is pleading with Ferguson to sign the bill as soon as possible. The restrictions on rent hikes would go into effect immediately upon his signature. She worries landlords are speeding up rent increases, knowing they’ll be restricted once Ferguson OKs it.
Before joining the state Senate, Trudeau worked with Ferguson for years in the attorney general’s office, including as his legislative director. In her experience, when he supports legislation, he makes that clear.
In this case, his staff even worked with sponsors to figure out what changes could be made to the contentious rent legislation to curry votes from on-the-fence Democrats, she said.
It’s not the first time Trudeau has directed critical feedback toward her former boss. She was also the most vocal lawmaker last month about hostile workplace concerns in Ferguson’s office, caused by former top adviser Mike Webb, who resigned.
Trudeau said she was proud of many of Ferguson’s actions while he was attorney general.
“I want to be proud of him as governor,” Trudeau said. “When the pressure is high is exactly when we need to show up for our people.”
‘Long road ahead’
Landlords and developers ardently opposed the rent legislation, arguing it would force them to leave the state. Well-funded housing industry groups targeted moderate Democratic senators to get them to vote against House Bill 1217.
On Wednesday, the Housing Solutions Coalition urged Ferguson to veto the proposed law, arguing it “will further hurt renters by driving down housing stock.” The coalition is led by Marcia Fudge, the former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Biden Administration, and Steve Stivers, a Republican former congressman from Ohio.
The policy’s supporters say it’ll give predictability to renters, and highlight other bills passed this year to boost housing supply, along with $605 million in new funding for affordable housing in the state’s Housing Trust Fund.
As part of Ferguson’s transition to the governor’s mansion, Lt. Gov. Denny Heck presented a plan of attack to deal with the state’s housing crisis. One of the report’s premises was to figure out a way to prevent price-gouging, and the rent legislation does that, Heck recently told reporters.
“The question is, are the rules too constrictive for them to make the investment?” asked Heck, also a Democrat. “And that’s what I don’t know the answer to. I don’t think any of us does.”
Trudeau recognizes it’s normal for new officials, especially governors, to feel things out in their first legislative session. She just wants Ferguson to quickly stand up for working people and renters.
“We’ve got a long road ahead of us and we hope he can figure it out,” Trudeau said.
Ferguson has until mid-May to sign the limit on rent increases into law.
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