In his final State of the State address to the Legislature, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee touted the enormous increase in state spending on various programs and services since he took office, while imploring lawmakers not to reduce spending as they write the upcoming biennial budget.

In his final State of the State address to a joint session of the Washington Legislature, Governor Jay Inslee made a passionate plea to safeguard the state’s progressive achievements and protect vulnerable communities from the brunt of looming budget challenges.

Gov. Jay Inslee delivered his final State of the State address on Tuesday morning to a joint session of the Washington Legislature. Inslee, first elected governor in 2012, will leave the office as the longest current-serving governor in the United States and the first to lead Washington for three terms since the late Dan Evans.

Outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee delivered his final State of the State address to both chambers of the Washington Legislature on Tuesday. Though the yearly speech sets a tone for the 103 days of lawmaking, Inslee's address on the final full day of 12 years leading the state had an air of farewell.

Gov. Jay Inslee, who’s led Washington state for the past dozen years, delivered his final State of the State address Tuesday morning. Its theme? Progress.

Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee gives his final State of the State address in the House Chambers of the Legislative Building in Olympia on Jan. 14, 2025

In his final State of the State address, outgoing Washington governor Jay Inslee talked about his accomplishments, but also the challenges that lie ahead.

Also touching on the incoming Trump Administration, Inslee said, "We will not bend the knee to a would-be authoritarian's worst impulses."

Inslee cautioned lawmakers against making deep spending cuts as they navigate the state’s looming budget gap, like those that were made in response to the Great Recession in the late 2000s. “It took years to build back what we lost in that era,