Initiatives to the legislature one step closer, extensive money backing the issues

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Let's Go Washington has turned in signatures for two initiatives to the legislature.

Here's how the process works now:

• The secretary of state's office must count the number of valid signatures turned in. A signature if valid if it is by a registered voter in Washington State; a voter who signed multiple times will only have their signature counted once.

• If there are enough valid signatures, the issue/issues head to the legislature.

• The legislature can do three things once they have the proposed law: lawmakers can pass the initiative as is; refuse to act, therefore putting it on the November 2026 ballot for the people to vote up or down; put it on the November 2026 ballot with a competing measure next to it for voters to decide between.

Let's Go Washington said its goal was to collect at least 400,000 signatures for each issue by the January 2 deadline.

The group said it turned in has more than 445,000 signatures for IL26-638, or the "Protecting Fairness in Girls' Sports" act.

If enacted, it would prohibit transgender girls from playing on teams that align with their gender identity. Students who want to play on a gendered sports team must have a physical, as already required by the state, that proves their biological sex.

Under IL26-638, students who want to play on a gendered sports team must have a physical, as already required by the state, that proves their biological sex.

Supporters call it necessary to protect young girls.

Opponents said that, if enacted, it would only marginalize an already small group.

For IL26-001, or the "Parents' Bill of Rights," Let's Go Washington turned in more than 416,000 signatures so far.

Supporters want it enacted to ensure that parents know everything going on in their children's schools, but opposers said that the law is already clear and works for parents.

Here is a timeline of events:

• During the 2024 session, I-2081 was passed by the legislature, which was the original Parents' Bill of Rights.

• During the 2025 session, House Bill 1296 was passed and later signed into law. Opponents of the bill say it claws back much of what was passed in 2024.

• Now, Let's Go Washington is bringing forward a new act to try and restore what they claim was stripped as part of HB 1296.

Let's Go Washington did not collect so many signatures without a deep money coffer supporting its efforts.

From March 2022 to November 2025, according to campaign finance reports on the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) website, the group received $16,412,629 in either monetary or 'in-kind' donations.