This story is part of an ongoing series looking into recent cuts to Washington’s state budget. If there are impacts you think we should be covering, reach out to laurel.demkovich@cascadepbs.org.
When students step off the bus on the Washington State Capitol campus, their eyes light up.
For many, it’s the first time seeing the buildings where state laws are proposed and interpreted.
That initial look at the rotunda and the 42 steps leading up to the entrance of the Legislative Building is Jamie Bassett’s favorite part of the three-hour student visits.
“That’s when you think, ‘OK, we got them. We’re going to learn today. We’re going to have fun together,’” said Bassett, who’s been leading civics education tours since 2018.
In the 2024-25 academic year, more than 15,000 students in grades four through 12 made their way through the halls of the Capitol on a civics tour offered by the state. But starting this year, the number of students who take part in this educational opportunity will fall significantly due to state budget cuts.
To fill a multibillion-dollar shortfall, state lawmakers approved $3 billion in cuts to state programs and services over the next two years. That included a $368,000 cut to the school field trip budget at the Department of Enterprise Services, which operates the Capitol campus.
That means the department will lose four of its nine seasonal, part-time tour guides.
Even before the cuts, demand for available tours exceeded capacity. In 2025, nearly 2,200 students whose teachers expressed interest were declined a tour, said Adam Holdorf, a department spokesman.
This year, the department’s goal is to serve 10,000 to 12,000 students with their limited capacity, Bassett said. Almost all of those spots are filled already.
“It saddens me a little bit that we’re not reaching as many kids as we potentially could,” Bassett said. “But I do have faith that we will work our way back up, that the Legislature knows the importance of this.”
Three branches in three hours
A standard field trip at the Capitol covers “three branches in three hours,” Bassett said – beginning with the legislative branch.
Students file into the House of Representatives and Senate galleries overlooking the chamber floors as a guide explains how a bill becomes a law, floor debate just one of many stops on its journey.
From there, the students proceed into the state reception room – a space reserved for special guests, Bassett said. Legislators who represent the school’s district sometimes stop in to answer students’ questions.
The next stop is the governor’s office, where students learn that the executive branch gets the final say on whether or not a bill becomes a law.
The tour continues across campus to the Temple of Justice where the state Supreme Court is located and laws are interpreted.
The tour guide describes Washington’s court system, and the students get a chance to act out a case, playing the role of lawyers, bailiffs and the justices who decide who wins.
This is the most popular part of the tour, Bassett said, one that helps students feel engaged in the legislative process.
5 facts you probably didn’t know about the state Capitol
Taking a tour of the state Capitol isn’t just about civics education; it’s also a look into state history, the artifacts in Olympia and intriguing local facts. Here are some you might not know:
1. 42 steps lead up to the Capitol.
The number symbolizes Washington’s status as the 42nd state to join the union. There’s also a rare 42-star flag in the State Reception room, which was made just before Idaho became a state – and made the flag unusable.
2. The walls in the state reception room include subtle images of animals in the marbling.
The Italian marble contains depictions of harbor seals, dogs, butterflies and moths.
3. The only gold in the building is interwoven among the threads of the curtains in the state reception room and the governor’s conference room.
The curtains include gold trimming and seals of George Washington. The threads include 14-karat gold.
4. Every county is listed on the walls of the House and Senate chambers.
Western counties and eastern counties are paired to signify that lawmakers work for everyone in the state.
5. The chandelier in the rotunda is the largest ever created by Tiffany Studios in New York.
The chandelier weighs 10,000 pounds and includes 204 lightbulbs. Also in the rotunda are four firepots designed to look like Roman firepots, which were lit to signal when the Senate was convening.
‘Civic education is needed’
Almost all school tour slots are already booked for 2026, but the department does keep a waitlist, Bassett said. Teachers who are still interested can request a tour through the Department of Enterprise Services website.
A virtual tour is also available: These hourlong sessions are led by a guide who answers students’ questions over video.
Either way, finding a way to educate kids on civics is important, Bassett said.
“In today’s world, civic education is needed,” she said. “People need to understand what their government is, what their government does and how they can participate.”
On every student tour she leads, Bassett wears a pin depicting an American goldfinch – Washington’s state bird – on her jacket’s right shoulder.
When students ask about it, Bassett tells them that schoolchildren helped pick the goldfinch as the official bird.
“You can get involved,” she tells students. “You don’t have to be an adult. You just have to know the avenues.”
Laurel Demkovich
Laurel Demkovich
