Template revised September 22, 2016.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
9a
BRIEFING ITEM
Date of Meeting
October 27, 2020
DATE: October 20, 2020
TO: Executive Director Stephen P. Metruck
FROM: Eric ffitch, State Government Relations Manager, External Relations
SUBJECT: DRAFT State Legislative Agenda for 2021
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Since the end of the 2020 state legislative session in Olympia, Washington, staff from the
Government Affairs team has been working with subject-matter experts across the Port,
members of the Executive Leadership Team, staff from the Commission office, and the
Commissioners themselves to develop a draft legislative agenda for 2020. This is the same
process that has transpired each interim in an effort to ensure the proposed agenda reflects the
Port Commission’s current priorities and values.
Suffice to say, the global pandemic and ensuing public policy response has altered this process
and with it our legislative agenda. The “Priority Agenda Items” section of the Port’s agenda has
been restructured to reflect this new reality, and the “Catalogue of Priority Issues” has been
updated accordingly. The agenda overall continues to reflect the Port’s values of equity, diversity,
and inclusion, and emphasizes the need for economic recovery that is undertaken in a manner
consistent with those values.
DRAFT State Legislative Agenda for 2021
1) Priority Agenda Items:
a) Promoting broad-based, inclusive, and equitable statewide economic recovery:
Consistent with the Port’s mission and statutory authorities, we will seek partnership with
Washington State Legislature and Executive Agencies on broad-based economic recovery
in Washington and pursue recovery in a manner that is equitable, inclusive, and
acknowledges the disparate impacts on historically underserved communities. Examples
include:
i) Transportation Revenue Package: Building infrastructure and investing in moving
people and freight supports economic activity and puts people back to work. Key
transportation priorities:
(1) West Seattle Bridge partnership
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(2) Puget Sound Gateway Program
(3) Support for hard-hit transit agencies
ii) Progressive climate action: Enactment of progressive climate policies spurs
investment in new technologies and generates demand for a newly skilled workforce
while reducing emissions and improving environmental justice outcomes. Key climate
policy priorities include:
(1) Low Carbon Fuel Standard
(2) Carbon price, through either a carbon fee or a cap-and-trade policy
iii) Response and relief: Essential activities that kept the economy running early in the
pandemic included maritime and freight operations, air cargo and more. The Port
urges the state continue to consider the impact the pandemic has had on essential
businesses and their workers as we move toward reopening, including:
(1) Tax structure changes that support essential industries
(2) Investments in the workers, including the future workforce, employed in essential
industries
b) Equity and community focus: The onset of the pandemic was accompanied by a
nationwide push to address historic inequities and systemic racism. The Port supports
state leadership in addressing social injustice, and specifically supports action in the
following areas:
i) Police reform and accountability: The Port supports the state advancing legislation to
improve civilian oversight of police decertification processes; to mandate anti-racist
and de-escalation training; to prohibit restraints that rely on neck pressure; and
others measures consistent with the Port’s own work
ii) Public contracting and grantmaking: The Port’s newly formed Office of Equity,
Diversity, and Inclusion is eager to work with our community to increase the share of
grants and contracts that go to underserved populations. Legislative changes may be
required to assist us and other local governments in meeting our goals, and we will
partner with the State Legislature to pursue such changes.
c) Additional priorities: Beyond the above-listed priorities that respond to urgent society-
wide issues, the Port will also pursue the following legislation consistent with our
priorities as a public agency:
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Meeting Date: October 27, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
i) Reduced local match for community improvements: The Port supports reducing the
local match that non-profit entities must provide in order to receive small dollar
grants for public improvement projects. This statutory change will help the Port
distribute grant funding at a time when many local governments may be forced to
reduce grantmaking.
2) Priority Issue Areas:
a) Quality Jobs and Small Business
i) Quality Jobs: Support proposals that are consistent with the Port’s focus on bringing
quality, sustainable jobs to the region, including through proposals that:
(1) Expand state-level support for worker training programs in port-related industries
of aviation, maritime, construction trades, and green jobs that seek to foster
maritime innovation and incent the incorporation of new technology into port-
related sectors.
(2) Support career-connected and work-based learning programs that seek to expose
middle- and high-school age students to professions in port-related industries.
(3) Expand and strengthen state support for pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship
programs
(4) Ensure responsible enforcement of labor standards, including a culture of respect
and inclusion on jobsites.
(5) Promote economic opportunity including fair wages and benefits for all workers
supporting operations at port facilities.
(6) Support continued state partnership on tourism promotion as an economic sector
critical to the overall recovery of the Washington state economy.
(7) 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.
ii) Small Business: Support proposals that seek to reduce structural barriers and provide
equity in the workplace for disadvantaged groups, and promote inclusion of small
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Template revised September 22, 2016.
businesses, including disadvantaged, minority, and women owned business
enterprises (SMWBEs). This includes:
(1) Continued support for the repeal of Initiative 200, the enactment of Initiative
1000, and any other policy proposals that seek to achieve similar equity objectives.
(2) Support for proposals that provide flexibility in contracting to public owners,
including alternative public works, while ensuring that contracting practices
enfranchise SMWBEs.
(3) Support proposals that enhance the opportunities for SMWBEs to more effectively
compete for small works projects.
(4) 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.
b) Transportation and Competitiveness:
i) 2021 Transportation revenue package development: The Port of Seattle supports
enactment of a long-term transportation revenue package to support trade and
Washington’s international gateway, stimulate job growth, and support economic
recovery. Transportation investment must be undertaken in a way that does not
disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities.
(1) Transportation package revenue raisers:
(a) Price on carbon: The Port of Seattle supports new revenues to support a
transportation revenue package, including a price on carbon either through a
direct carbon fee or through the adoption of a cap-and-trade program. Any
price on carbon used to raise revenue for a transportation package must be
accompanied by the enactment of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
(b) Road usage charge: As the purchasing power of a gas tax has diminished with
increased fuel efficiency of cars, so too will the value of a carbon price as
carbon intensity of fuel is reduced. Therefore, a user-fee model as is
envisioned by a road usage charge, should be considered as a transportation
revenue input.
(c) Gas tax increase: Even as receipts to the state diminish owing to fuel efficiency
gains, the gas tax remains an efficient means of funding conventional
transportation projects.
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Meeting Date: October 27, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
(2) Transportation package investments:
(a) West Seattle Bridge: The West Seattle Bridge is a transportation asset that
carries state and regional significance, and state partnership on repair or
replacement should be outlined in a transportation revenue package.
(b) Continue support for critical freight routes: The Puget Sound Gateway and
other projects that connect the international gateways in Seattle and Tacoma
with warehousing districts, growers, shippers, and manufacturers must be
prioritized and supported in a transportation revenue package. Funding from
Connecting Washington must be retained for these economic vitality
investments.
(c) Invest in transit: Hit hard by the pandemic but made more critical in its role
helping workers access their workplaces during an expected economic
downturn, we support strong funding for transit agencies statewide. Funding
should be focused on incenting adoption of clean transit fleets.
(d) Port-specific grant program: Port infrastructure supports statewide economic
development, and a state transportation package should include grant funding
that specifically targets off-highway projects developed by port districts.
(e) Reduce conflict between passengers and freight: In addition to robust transit
funding, revenue derived from a carbon fee or cap-and-trade program should
be directed at transportation options that reduce single-occupancy vehicle
trips on the main stem transportation system, to reduce conflicts between
passengers and freight and to improve our overall trade competitiveness.
ii) General transportation priorities:
(1) Continued state support for transportation networks that serve essential public
facilities, including funding to follow up on a study underway at the Washington
State Department of Transportation consider potential upgrades State Route 518,
construction of the Puget Sound Gateway Program (SR509/SR167), completion of
the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, and others.
(2) Support proposals that speed the movement of freight and passengers from origin
to destination through seaport and airport facilities and improve the trade
competitiveness of Washington state and our gateway.
(3) Continue to deepen partnership with Washington State Legislature, Executive
Agencies, and other public and private stakeholders on promoting Washington
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Meeting Date: October 27, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
state as an international trading partner, supporting the state’s exporters while
also ensuring that transportation facilities that support trade are modernized,
world-class, and can operate efficiently.
(4) 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, provided that such proposals do not
compromise public infrastructure; and potential revenue sources that account for
miles traveled and could bring stability to state transportation funding.
(5) Support proposals that clarify and affirm the authority of the Port Commission to
control access to port facilities by 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
(6) Support state engagement in regional conversations related to a potential
increase in passenger vessel routes operating in Puget Sound, and other
innovative transportation partnerships that reduce congestion on roadways and
reduce emissions associated with transportation sector.
(7) Support state actions that promote resilience in the transportation network, and
support collaboration with other government agencies, including on issues of
climate resilience.
(8) Support coordinated approach to regional transportation planning, including
aviation planning, to reflect the unprecedented growth in the region and the
related stresses on our existing infrastructure.
iii) Land use priorities: Continue to advocate on land use issues facing Washington ports,
with a specific focus on zoning issues that may affect port competitiveness. This may
include:
(1) 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;
(2) Proposals that reflect the Port's commitment to environmental sustainability,
including promoting Puget Sound ecosystem health and resource stewardship,
and acknowledge the fact that manufacturing and industrial centers designated
under the Growth Management Act are resource lands of statewide economic
significance that are irreplaceable; and
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Meeting Date: October 27, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
(3) Proposals that recognize the role industrial resource lands play in global port
competitiveness and in supporting job retention in diverse economic sectors that
provide ladders of opportunity to underserved groups; and
(4) Proposals that seek to strengthen the Container Ports Element of the Growth
Management Act; and
(5) Recommendations related to the Department of Commerce's Interbay Public
Development Advisory Committee; and
(6) Any legislative changes that may impact the efficient functioning of statewide
essential public facilities.
c) 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:
i) Policies that promote the use of low-carbon fuels for transportation, low or zero
emission transit options, and otherwise support the continued reduction in the cost
of low-carbon energy sources to consumers in the state.
ii) Programs directed at Puget Sound health, to include: water quality, habitat
restoration, cleanups, stormwater, underwater noise reduction, and other issues
related to orca recovery in the Puget Sound.
iii) Programs funded through the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) that assist ports in
their efforts to promote environmental stewardship, to include not just cleanup
grants but also public participation grants to community organizations.
iv) Continued robust funding for the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office, and any
additional state-level program or office that supports partnerships and funding on
environmental cleanup, habitat restoration, and public access to the shoreline and
marine resources.
v) Continued collaboration with state and local agencies on disbursement of funds from
the national Volkswagen settlement, including efforts that direct funds to regionally
significant projects and projects that result in significant emissions reductions at
airports and seaports across the state.
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Meeting Date: October 27, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
vi) Policies that promote use of clean energy technology, building energy efficiency, and
support a statewide reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as well as statewide goals
for clean power, 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.
vii) State support for partnership with the Port on sustainable aviation fuels, including
state-level actions intended to drive development of clean fuels within the state for
use at in-state transportation facilities.
viii) 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.
ix) Policies that reduce carbon and air pollution emissions for passengers and employees
traveling to and from Port facilities, including promoting and improving the efficient
efficiency of public transit transportation improvements, public transit, and increasing
the availability of low carbon fuels.
x) Pursue continued state partnership on efforts to reduce carbon emissions from
waterfront operations while maintaining the international competitive edge that
supports job growth in Washington state. This includes partnership on electric
transmission infrastructure development, on innovation in the clean maritime sector,
and on the state's ongoing Maritime Blue 2050 initiative.
d) Tax, Governance, Technology:
i) Tax: Support tax policies at the state level that support the economic health of port-
related businesses and activities, including:
(1) 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.
(2) 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.
ii) Governance: Oppose legislation that would create an imbalance of representatives
between the two homeports in their governing of the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
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Meeting Date: October 27, 2020
Template revised September 22, 2016.
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).
iii) Cybersecurity: Monitor proposals that seek to balance the importance of
transparency and public disclosure with the vulnerability of public governments that
manage critical infrastructure.
iv) Broadband: Support continued state and local government efforts to bridge the digital
divide and bring high-speed internet connectivity to communities around the state.
v) Technology: Monitor proposals related to the use of biometric technology, such as
facial recognition, particularly those that address the protection of individual privacy,
civil liberties, equity and compliance with federal and state regulations.
vi) Human trafficking: Engage continued state partnership with Port efforts to combat
human trafficking at port facilities, including the airport, seaport, cruise terminals, and
marina properties, including potential advocacy in support of state anti-human
trafficking efforts that align with efforts underway at the Port.
vii) Lost and Found: Explore potential legislative change to confirm that port districts
have authority to partner with nonprofits on the disposition of unclaimed property in
Lost and Found collection areas on port-managed facilities.
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING
(1) Presentation slides
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
November 19 , 2019 - The Commission adopted the 2019 State Legislative Agenda
October 22, 2019 – The Commission was briefed on the Draft 2019 State Legislative Agenda
