By now, you should have received a legislative mailer at city hall delving into city outcomes from the 2023 legislative session, along with helpful interim advocacy tips. If not, read its contents below or download the PDF.

AWC was founded in 1933 when a diverse group of cities gathered in Yakima to talk about the need for a unified city voice before the state Legislature. This year marks the 90th anniversary of that decision. As we look back over the years, it’s clear that cities and AWC have maintained a strong presence in the legislative process.

For nearly a century, our collective city voice has been a crucial part of legislative deliberations and AWC has seen many great successes in advocating for cities’ needs. 2023 was no different. We continued that strong tradition of cities engaging in the legislative process—with important progress to show for it.

Recapping the 2023 session

Now that we’ve had some time to reflect on the 2023 legislative session, it’s a good time to celebrate our success and think about what we need to continue working on in 2024.

We were pleased to see significant action on our five priorities and in the state’s budgets, including the long-sought return of full funding to the Public Works Assistance Account (PWAA). After years of working towards the goal of restoring PWAA funding, that alone is worth celebrating with a ticker-tape parade! We also made significant progress on public safety issues and in affordable housing, while maintaining strong state investment in city needs. Read about our legislative outcomes to learn more.

These successes wouldn’t have occurred without the strong engagement of all of you, our members. Your communications with legislators and engagement with the legislative process were instrumental in making the city voice heard and impacting legislative decision-making throughout the session. Thank you all for your efforts, engagement, and continued support of the AWC Government Relations Team.

Looking ahead to 2024

The legislative cycle doesn’t take a break, as soon as we wrap up one session, we begin to set the stage for the next year. The interim (the time between sessions) is really the most important period for engaging with your legislators, building relationships, and identifying the issues that need action in the next session. At AWC, we began the process of building our 2024 legislative agenda back in May with the opportunity for our members to share ideas for next year. AWC’s Legislative Priorities Committee has been meeting to review and vet the various issues and will finalize recommendations in September.

We know how busy you are, but investing a little time over the next several months will go a long way towards a successful 2024 legislative session.

Thank you for all you do!