Motion 2019-12 – Referendum 88 Page 1 of 3
MOTION 2019-12:
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A MOTION OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION
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supporting Initiative 1000, through endorsement for the
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approval of Referendum 88, an initiative to the Legislature
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which was passed in April 2019 and which supports the
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Port’s goals of increased utilization of small businesses,
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including disadvantaged, minority-owned, and women-
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owned businesses.
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The title of Referendum 88: The legislature passed Initiative
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Measure No. 1000 concerning affirmative action and
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remedying discrimination, and voters have filed a sufficient
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referendum petition on this act. Initiative 1000 would allow
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the state to remedy discrimination for certain groups and
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to implement affirmative action, without the use of quotas
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or preferential treatment (as defined), in public education,
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employment, and contracting. Should Initiative 1000 be
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Approved [ ] Rejected [ ]?
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PROPOSED
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OCTOBER 22, 2019
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INTRODUCTION
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Passage of this motion reflects the Port of Seattle Commission’s continued commitment to
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ensure that the economic prosperity in the region, and the economic development we help to
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foster, is shared by all.
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TEXT OF THE MOTION
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Consistent with the Port of Seattle’s previous public positions in support of small, disadvantaged,
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minority-owned, and women-owned business enterprises, the Port Commission hereby endorses
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the approval of Initiative 1000, set to be considered for a vote on the statewide ballot on
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November 5
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, 2019 through Referendum 88. The Port of Seattle Commission previously adopted
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Resolution No. 3274, in 1998, to oppose the original effort to prohibit public entities from
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promoting this category of business. Additionally, in 2016, the Commission adopted Motion
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2016-02 to support the Legislature’s efforts to repeal Initiative 200, the citizen law that first put
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this prohibition in place. Repealing the restrictions put in place by Initiative 200 will allow the
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Port greater flexibility in fulfilling its mission of supporting economic vibrancy in the region and
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ensuring that economic gains are shared by all.
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Item Number: 8c_motion
Meeting Date: October 22, 2019
Motion 2019-12 – Referendum 88 Page 2 of 3
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STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION
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The Port of Seattle is committed to the increased participation of small businesses, the provision
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of quality jobs, and the development of a diverse and skilled workforce that can support regional
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economic vitality. The Commission has long viewed Initiative 200 as a challenge to that mission,
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and first adopted a Commission Resolution opposing the Initiative in 1998, when it was due to
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be considered on the statewide ballot. Following that vote, commissioners have traveled to
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Olympia in each of the past four legislative sessions to testify alongside representatives from the
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City of Seattle and King County in support of repealing Initiative 200.
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In the 2019 Legislative Session, Washington voters presented the State Legislature with an
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“Initiative to the Legislature” that sought to amend RCW 49.60.400, put in place originally by the
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passage of Initiative 200. That effort, known as Initiative 1000, gave the legislators three options:
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adopt the measure as drafted; put forward an alternative and have both I-1000 and that
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alternative measure considered side-by-side on the ballot; or take no action, and send the
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initiative as written to the ballot. After much deliberation, and a public hearing that lasted nearly
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an entire day and featured testimony from all three living former Governors, the Legislature
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voted to pass I-1000 as written. With that vote, the prohibition in the granting of preference that
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I-200 put in place was officially repealed. However, the I-200 advocates immediately began to
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gather signatures for a referendum that could overturn that legislative action, and that gave rise
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to Referendum 88, up for a vote in this November’s election.
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On January 8, 2018, the Port of Seattle Commission officially adopted its new Diversity in
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Contracting policy. That policy seeks to increase opportunities for women and minority-owned
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business entities (WMBEs) across Port operations. The policy is designed to increase both the
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percent of contracting dollars paid to WMBE firms as well as the number of WMBE firms under
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contract. It requires divisions and departments within the Port to set goals for WMBE utilization,
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created a WMBE inclusion plan pilot, and supports prompt payment for WMBE firms that work
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with the Port.
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Meanwhile, in December 2017, the Commission moved to establish a Priority Hire policy that will
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ensure better access to training programs and well-paying construction jobs for local workers,
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particularly those from economically distressed areas. That effort also sets as a goal the increased
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the diversity of the workforce on Port construction projects and focuses on workforce
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participation by apprentices and journey-level construction workers. The policy will require
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contractors on large Port construction projects to hire more local apprentices from under-
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represented zip codes.
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In 2014, the Port of Seattle completed a disparity study to learn more about its successes and
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challenges as an organization in the area of WMBE contracting. The study found disparity in Port
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utilization of minority contractors for construction and construction-related projects was
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substantially below what might be expected based on the availability of those contractors. The
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study also concluded that all categories of minority-owned businesses displayed utilization rates
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Motion 2019-12 – Referendum 88 Page 3 of 3
that were below parity, recommended overall the Port make efforts to ensure that mechanisms
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for monitoring future performance and utilization of those contractors were enforced. The study
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allowed the Port to request from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which granted the
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authorization to implement a “race-conscious” DBE program for federally assisted projects.
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That study informed the work being done under the Priority Hire and Diversity in Contracting
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policies. It also helps to inform the work being done by the Port’s newly formed Office of
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. But it is all made more challenging by the state law put into place
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by the 1998 passage of I-200.
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Passage of I-1000, which can be sustained by voters through the approval of Referendum 88, and
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the amendment of 49.60.400 (I-200), will allow the Port greater flexibility as we advance our
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mission of supporting broad-based and diverse economic development, and ensuring that the
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growing prosperity of the Puget Sound region is shared by all communities equally.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ATTACHED
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Full text of Referendum 88, as submitted to the Washington Secretary of State
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