2018 State Legislative Agenda

Priority Agenda Items:

• Workforcedevelopment:Supportproposalstoenhancestateinvestmentsinworkforce

developmentinthemaritime,manufacturing,andindustrialsectors.Thismayincludepossible

amendmentstoportstatutetoclarifytheauthorityofportdistrictstocontinuetoplayarolein

workforcedevelopmentinthesesectors.

• TransportationaccesstoSea‐TacAirport:SupportfundingforapartnershipbetweenthePort

ofSeattleandtheWashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportationtoconductastudyofState

Route518toaddresscurrentandfuturecorridorneedsrelatedtoincreasedregional

developmentthatwillaffecttransportationdemandonthatcorridor.

• Statewidetourismmarketing:Supportestablishmentofastate‐levelentitychargedwith

promotingtourisminWashingtonstate,tocompetewithsimilarstate‐supportedtourism

marketingagenciesinIdaho,Oregon,andaroundthecountry.

• Landuse:ProvidedetailedinformationtolegislatorsandtoHouseandSenateCommitteeson

thecurrentlanduseissuesfacingWashingtonports,withaspecificfocusonzoningissues

relatedtotheGrowthManagementActthatmayaffectportcompetitiveness.Thismayinclude:

‐ Proposalsthatareconsistentwith,butnotlimitedto,therecommendationsfromthe

statelegislature’sSpring2016JointTaskForceontheEconomicResilienceofMaritime

andManufacturingreport;

‐ Proposalsthatreflectthe“GuidingPrinciples:Stewardship,Enhancement,and

ProtectionofMaritimeandManufacturingLands”documentthatwasadoptedbythe

NorthwestSeaportAllianceonNovember1,2016;and

‐ Anylegislativechangesthatmayimpacttheefficientfunctioningofstatewideessential

publicfacilities

2018 State Legislative Agenda

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Priority Issue Areas: Quality Jobs and Small Business

 QualityJobs:SupportproposalsthatareconsistentwiththePort’sfocusonbringingquality,

sustainablejobstotheregion,includingthroughproposalsthat:

– Clarifytheauthorityofportdistrictstopursuecreativeapproachestoworkforce,aswell

anyeffortstoexpandstate‐levelsupportforworkertrainingprogramsintheaviation,

maritime,andmanufacturingtrades.

– Supportcareer‐connectedandwork‐basedlearningprogramsthatseektoexpose

middle‐andhigh‐schoolagestudentstoprofessionsinport‐relatedindustries.

– Expandandstrengthenstatesupportforapprenticeshipprograms

– Ensureresponsibleenforcementoflaborstandards.

– Supportruraleconomicdevelopment:Partnerwiththestateandotherportsand

economicdevelopmentactorstopromoteruraleconomicdevelopmentinitiatives,

includingruralbroadbanddeployment,tourismpromotion,supportforsmall

manufacturersinruralWashington,investmentsinfreightcorridorsinruralareas,and

otheractionstosupporteconomicgrowthacrossWashingtonstate.



 SmallBusiness:Supportproposalsthatseektoprovideequityintheworkplacefor

disadvantagedgroups,andpromoteinclusionofsmallbusinesses,includingdisadvantaged,

minority,andwomenownedbusinessenterprises(SMWBEs).Thisincludes:

– ContinuedsupportfortherepealofInitiative200,andotherpolicyproposalsthatseek

toachievesimilarobjectives.

– Supportforproposalsthatprovideflexibilityincontractingtopublicownerswhile

ensuringthatcontractingpracticesenfranchiseSMWBEs.

– SupportproposalsthatenhancetheopportunitiesforSMWBEstomoreeffectively

competeforsmallworksprojects.

– Supportbusinessassistanceprogramsatthestate‐levelthatarefocusedonsmall

businesscapacitybuilding,andhelpSMWBEstocompeteinthegovernment

marketplace.

2018 State Legislative Agenda

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Priority Issue Areas: Transportation

• Closelymonitor,andsupportcontinuedfundingof,statetransportationprojectsthatare

criticaltoPortofSeattleandNorthwestSeaportAllianceoperations,includingthePugetSound

GatewayProgram(SR509/SR167),theAlaskanWayViaductReplacementProgram,StateRoute

518,andothers.

• Supportproposalsthatspeedthemovementoffreightandpassengersfromoriginto

destinationthroughseaportandairportfacilities.Thisincludesinvestmentsinfreight‐related

infrastructurebasedonrecommendationsfromthestate’sfreightadvisorycommitteeand

FreightMobilityStrategicInvestmentBoard,andconsistentwithamethodologydeveloped

collectivelybyallmembersofthatcommittee.

• Supportproposalsthatallowforcreativeapproachestoinfrastructuredevelopmentand

funding,includingpotentialexpansionofauthorityofpublicownerstopartnerwithprivate

entities,permittedthatsuchproposalsdonotcompromisepublicinfrastructure.

• SupportproposalsthatclarifyandaffirmtheauthorityofthePortCommissiontocontrolaccess

toportfacilitiesbygroundtransportationserviceprovidersalltransportationmodes,including

privatevehicleaccess,commercialgroundtransportationproviders,andpublictransportation

providers,andpromotefairnessandequityamongtransportationserviceproviders,insupport

ofresponsibleoperationinallareasofregulation,includinginsurance,monitoring,safety,and

environmentalstandards

• Supportproposalsintendedtopromoteaviationsafetywhilemaintainingtheauthorityof

airportoperatorstoenforcetheirownrulesandregulationsatthefacilitieswithintheircontrol.

• Supportstateactionsthatpromoteresilienceinthetransportationnetwork,andsupport

collaborationwithothergovernmentagencies,includingonissuesofclimateresilience.

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2018 State Legislative Agenda

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Priority Issue Areas: Energy and Environment

• Supportandadvocateforcontinuedstateinvestmentinenvironmentalcleanupprogramsand

state‐levelpoliciesthatpromotetheadoptionandimplementationofcleanenergysourcesto

reducethestate’srelianceonfossilfuelsandseektoeliminategreenhousegasemissions.That

includes:

– ProgramsfundedthroughtheModelToxicsControlAct(MTCA)thatassistPortsintheir

effortstopromoteenvironmentalstewardshipandsupportWashingtonState’spursuit

ofahealthierPugetSound,andeffortstostabilizetheMTCAaccounttoensurelong‐

termfundingavailabilityforcoreprograms.

– Workwithstateandlocalagenciesondevelopmentofstatewidemitigationplanfor

fundsfromthenationalVolkswagensettlement.Supporteffortsthatdirectfundsto

regionallysignificantprojects,includingprojectsthatresultinemissionsreductionsat

airportsandseaportsacrossthestate.

– Policiesthatpromoteuseofcleanenergytechnologyandsupportastatewidereduction

ingreenhousegasemissions,andthatcanbeimplementedinways:thatleverageour

state’scompetitiveness;maintaintheefficientoperationofessentialpublicfacilities

suchasairportsandseaports;andsupportequitybetweenourbusinesspartners.

– Policiesthatpromotetheuseoflow‐carbonfuelsfortransportation,andotherwise

supportthecontinuedreductioninthecostoflow‐carbonenergysourcestoconsumers

inthestate,includingpotentiallegislativechangestoallowforelectrificationoflarge‐

scaletransportationinfrastructure.

– StatesupportforpartnershipwiththePortonaviationbiofuels,includingstate‐level

actionsintendedtodrivedevelopmentofbiofuelswithinthestateforuseatin‐state

transportationfacilities.

– Supportstateactionsthatpromoteclimatechangeresilience,andsupportcollaboration

withothergovernmentagenciesinthiseffort,includingafocusonresiliencewithinthe

transportationnetwork.

– Policiesthatreducecarbonandairpollutionemissionsforpassengersandemployees

travelingtoandfromPortfacilities,includingpromotingimprovingtheefficient

efficiencyofpublictransittransportationimprovements,publictransit,andincreasing

theavailabilityoflowcarbonfuels.

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2018 State Legislative Agenda

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Priority Issue Areas: Tax and Governance

• Tax:Supporttaxpoliciesatthestatelevelthatsupporttheeconomichealthofport‐related

businessesandactivities,including:

– Policiesthatpromotetheefficientmovementoffreightandsupportsthose

communitiesthathousethewarehousinganddistributioninfrastructurenecessaryto

enablethePortofSeattle,theNorthwestSeaportAlliance,anditspartnerentitiesto

serveWashingtonStatebusinesses,includinginagriculture,manufacturing,andtrade

sectors.

– Policiesthatreducethecostofmanufacturingactivitiesthatsupportport‐related

businesses,includingbusinessesthatsupporttheefficientfunctioningofSeattle‐

TacomaInternationalAirportandthatincentivizeconstructionoffishingvesselsin

WashingtonStateshipyards

• Governance:Opposelegislationthatwouldcreateanimbalanceofrepresentativesbetween

thetwohomeportsintheirgoverningoftheNorthwestSeaportAlliance.Andfurther,advocate

thatanylegislativeproposalthatwouldalterthepreviouslyvoterestablishedgovernance

structureofeitherhomeportincluderatificationbycitizenvotewithintherespectivehomeport

district(s).

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