Let’s Go Washington Parents’ Bill of Rights initiative certified, headed to legislature as Democrats signal no hearings
Jan 26, 2026, 10:49 AM | Updated: 2:56 pm
The Washington Secretary of State has certified Initiative 26-001, which would restore the original Parents’ Bill of Rights after Democrats made changes to the 2024 law last year.
The initiative, backed by Let’s Go Washington and founder Brian Heywood, now goes to the legislature, which can adopt it, reject it, or take no action.
Democratic leaders have signaled they will not hold hearings on the measure, making it all but certain to land on the November 2026 ballot.
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House Speaker Jinkins, Senate Majority Leader Pedersen confirm no hearings
House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) and Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle) confirmed the legislature does not plan to hold hearings on the initiative this session.
“I’m certain that we will not be passing either of those initiatives,” Pedersen said. “They’ll be up to the voters to decide.”
Heywood called the decision irresponsible, noting Initiative 26-001 gathered more than 400,000 signatures.
“I find it sort of irresponsible,” Heywood said. “This happened to us two years ago. If they don’t look at it at all, it automatically goes on the ballot next November, and everybody will have a chance to vote on it then.”
What would Initiative 26-001 change about parental access to student medical records
Initiative 26-001 seeks to repeal changes Democrats made in 2025 to the original Parents’ Bill of Rights, which voters approved in 2024 as Initiative 2081.
Those changes included removing parental access to student medical records.
Heywood and supporters want to restore the original language, arguing parents have a fundamental right to know what is happening with their children in schools.
“We don’t co-parent with the government,” Heywood told the Washington State Standard. “No government employee can care about or love your child like you do.”
Heywood has framed the initiative as a bipartisan issue.
“This is not a partisan issue, this is a common sense issue,” he said, according to the Daily Citizen. He added that more than half of the signatures came from liberals and independents.
Brian Heywood, supporters say parents deserve access to student records
Washington Senate Republicans backed the initiative in a statement on X.
“Your children do not belong to the government, they belong to you,” the caucus wrote.
Brian Noble, CEO of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, said the initiative demonstrates how citizens can impact policy even when outnumbered in the legislature.
“Both initiatives are a demonstration of how citizens in Washington can impact policy despite conservatives being significantly outnumbered in both the Washington House and Senate,” Noble told the Daily Citizen. “We will continue to advocate for parental rights and the safety of our children.”
Critics warn Parents’ Bill of Rights initiative could harm LGBTQ+ students
Critics argue the initiative could put vulnerable students at risk, particularly LGBTQ+ youth.
Washington Families for Freedom, a coalition opposing the measure, said teachers and school counselors “would be required to ‘out’ LGBTQ+ students to unsupportive families, putting kids at greater risk of abuse, mental health issues, and even homelessness.”
The group also warned that “students would have a harder time getting help from school counselors for domestic violence, sexual abuse at home.”
Shannon McCann, a middle school special education teacher quoted by the Washington Education Association, called the initiative “a major privacy issue for all students, families, and educators.”
“While we work together to defeat this latest threat, we all must ensure Washington’s schools are safe, welcoming, and well-funded to build a bright future for every student and family,” McCann said.
State Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver) criticized the initiative’s backers.
“The Let’s Go Washington team is just not at all interested in talking about the facts around policy,” Stonier told the Washington State Standard. “They’re more interested in telling stories that can divide our communities.”
Courtney Normand, director of the anti-sex trafficking organization Worthy Now, said the tactics are “out of step with Washington’s values and distract from the real issues students face every day.”
Let’s Go Washington continues initiative push despite opposition
The certification marks another successful signature drive for Let’s Go Washington, which has pushed multiple initiatives through the process despite what Heywood described as significant opposition.
Heywood said signature gatherers faced “over 50 documented violent attacks” and efforts by unions and advocacy groups to disrupt the process.
“Despite funding by the WEA and ACLU to disrupt the process, we did it again,” Heywood wrote on X. “You did it… again!”
The legislature is also not planning hearings on a second Let’s Go Washington initiative, IL26-638, which would ban transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports. That measure is also expected to go to voters in November 2026.
Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here.
