Item No. 11c supp
Date: June 9, 2026

2026 State Legislative Session Review

Briefing to Port of Seattle Commission | June 9, 2026
John Flanagan, Sr. State Govt Relations Manager
Brooke Davies, Contract Lobbyist
Nick Streuli, Contract Lobbyist

1

OVERVIEW

State budget overview
Revenue & 'major' non-port
legislation
Port priorities - successes and works
in-progress
2027 interim projects & planning

2

BUDGET | REVENUE
• Current revenue outlook
• Major election year
• State's credit rating
• Millionaire's Tax
• Legal challenge

3

PRIORITY ITEMS | Economic Development
Successes:
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•
•
•

Tourism
Statewide Economic Strategy
Industrial Lands
Gov's Economic Council & EO

Works in-progress:
•
•
•
•

'Innovation Zones'
Manufacturing
Permitting & Licensing
WA Trade Strategy
4

PRIORITY ITEMS | Workforce, Education, & Labor
Successes:
• Childcare
• Training, Apprenticeships, Career
Connected Learning
• Port workers / PERS legislation

Works in-progress:
• Blue Schools Initiative
• Prevailing wage
• Healthcare

5

PRIORITY ITEMS | Aviation
Successes:

• Olympic Pipeline Outage
• Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)

• Revenue, Expertise, & Infrastructure

• Existing air quality programming

Works in-progress:

• Noise repair & replace
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

• Incentives & SAF Account usage

• Airport siting (CAWG)
• Aviation fuel tax revenue
• Fuel system resilience

6

PRIORITY ITEMS | Maritime
Successes:
• SMF Collaborative
• Port electrification grants

Works in-progress:
•
•
•
•
•
•

CFS applicability
Clean maritime demo project
Scrubber ban
Shore power mandate
Vessel construction strategy
Commercial pump-outs
7

PRIORITY ITEMS | Transportation
Successes:

• New revenue (again!)
• Regional projects

• Gateway | Revive I-5 | High-speed rail

• EV Direct Sales | EV Infrastructure
• Clean trucking

Works in-progress:

• Stable revenue (for sure this time!)
• Highway User Fee (HUF)

• WOSCA
• Options for SEA workers

• Commute Trip Reduction Credit
8

PRIORITY ITEMS | Energy

Successes:
•
•
•
•

Transmission
Siting & Financing
Clean Buildings
SEA utility & CETA

Works in-progress:

• Regional Green Economy Cluster

9

PRIORITY ITEMS | Environment

Successes:
• Conservation
• Quiet Sound

Work in-progress:
•
•
•
•

Environmental Justice & SEPA
MTCA
Contaminants (PFAS, 6PPD)
Mitigation banking

10

PRIORITY ITEMS | Taxes, Revenue, General Govt.

Successes:
•
•

Tax increment financing
Regulating AI

Works in-progress:
• Property tax levy cap
• Public records reform
• STOC double taxation
issue
• Automated license plate
reader use

11

NEXT STEPS

June & August
Updated Revenue
Forecasts

June/July
Internal feedback
Ongoing work with
state lawmakers

Aug/Sept
Refine priorities
Finalize bill and
proviso language
where possible

Oct/Nov
Present Draft 2027
Legislative Agenda
to Commission

12

Questions?

Thank you for your engagement in our expansive advocacy work
13