November 18, 2024

Elections set the stage for January
With the elections behind us, we now look ahead to January 13—the start of the 2025 legislative session. We will have a number of new faces in Olympia, and we are excited to have more city officials joining the ranks of legislators. Congratulations to Orting Mayor Josh Penner, Battle Ground Councilmember Adrian Cortes, and Washougal Mayor David Stuebe on their elections to serve in the Legislature. They will join a robust cadre of former city and county officials we like to refer to as the City County Champions Caucus.

The election results also mean that the Democrats have expanded their majorities by one seat in both the state House and the Senate. We also have a new Governor, Attorney General, Public Lands Commissioner, and Insurance Commissioner. We are already working to make connections with Governor-elect Ferguson and his staff. And, of course, we are reaching out to legislators on both sides of the aisle to share our 2025 City Legislative Priorities and work on crafting bills and budget requests.

If you haven’t already, your city should adopt its own legislative agenda. Once you have, please share it with your legislators and send us a copy. Need inspiration? Check out our advocacy tools page to see what other cities are doing. To help you get ready, we’re hosting a 2025 session preview webinar on December 5 and we recently updated our popular strong cities advocacy guide.

On behalf of the whole Government Relations team, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for all of you and the work you do on behalf of your communities.

Candice Bock
Government Relations Director

Washington Supreme Court holds second indigent defense hearing where cities turned out
On November 13, the state Supreme Court held a follow-up hearing covering new proposed statewide indigent defense caseload standards. AWC CEO Deanna Dawson testified in front of the justices with remarks on the impacts the new standards would have on cities. Watch the recording, view the public comments, read AWC’s three main testimony points, and find out what other cities and local governments are saying. More

I-2066 predicted to pass in close election while other three initiatives fail
One of the four ballot measures in the November 5 election was I-2066, related to access to natural gas, an initiative to the people introduced in reaction to legislative debate on incentivizing natural gas phaseout. While the vote count has been close, it is now predicted to pass. Three other initiatives to the Legislature, which went directly to the ballot after the Legislature took no action, were rejected by voters in the November 5 election (I-2109 – Capital Gains Tax, I-2117 – Climate Commitment Act, and I-2124 – WA Cares Fund). More

AGO considering amendments to Model Public Records Act Rules
The Attorney General’s Office announced the beginning of a rulemaking process to amend the Model Public Records Act Rules, in response to a petition for rulemaking from The Seattle Times and 17 other news organizations. The proposal aims to encourage governments to “promptly” address public records requests and change the way they process requests to fulfill more requests more quickly. More

Attend AWC’s listening session on new transportation funding ideas
December 10 | Online
Washington’s state fuel tax revenues have been on the decline for years and are now predicted to decrease at a steeper rate than previously assumed. Join AWC for a listening session to learn about two transportation funding sources under consideration by the Legislature: a retail delivery fee and a road usage charge. Hear insights and information from AWC, researchers for the Joint Transportation Committee, and Washington State Transportation Commission staff. Come ready to learn and to share your questions and comments during a robust Q&A session. Register now.

Register now for City Action Days!
February 19-20, 2025 | Lacey
Held annually during the legislative session, this popular event gives city officials the opportunity to get updates on city legislative priorities, hear from insider panels, and learn about the latest legislative hot topics. The conference includes a “hill climb,” where attendees are encouraged to meet with your statewide decision-makers about our legislative priorities at the state Capitol in Olympia. Register now!

Learn about the state’s new Home Energy Rebates programs
November 25 | Online
Washington’s Home Energy Rebates team invites local governments to an informational webinar about the current plans for its new programs. The state Department of Commerce has been approved for $168 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for the IRA Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) program and the Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) program to help residential households electrify and retrofit their homes to save energy. Learn about eligibility, program design, next steps, and more. Register now.

City Conditions Survey results now available
A big thanks to all the cities that participated in the 2024 City Conditions Survey! Because of you, this robust data can help guide all our cities in their planning, policy decisions, and advocacy around city legislative agendas. This year’s city priorities indicate significant concerns around fiscal security for cities, as well as in public safety, housing, infrastructure, and behavioral health. Check out this snapshot of what we learned.

Let’s talk about AWC’s legislative priorities
Tune in to the latest episode of the CityVoice Podcast where AWC Government Relations Director Candice Bock and Deputy Government Relations Director Carl Schroeder delve into AWC’s 2025 Legislative Priorities. They share valuable tips for city leaders on engaging in the legislative process and offer a glimpse into the life of a lobbyist on the hill. More

Hot off the press: Homelessness & housing toolkit for cities
AWC and MRSC have just updated this popular publication to include recent changes in state and federal law. The newly revised resource provides real-world examples of tools and actions Washington cities have used in responding to the challenges of homelessness and affordable housing. More

Time is running out for remaining ARPA funds! The first major deadline for ARPA is December 31, 2024—the date by which cities must have all their ARPA-SLFRF funds properly obligated. More

Draft rules for housing and land use out for comment. Commerce is proposing extensive updates to Growth Management Act rules to address 24 housing-related bills passed into law since 2019. Comments are due January 13. More

Pension policy committee recommends permanent PERS 1 COLA. Despite a difficult budget outlook, the Select Committee on Pension Policy recommends an ongoing PERS 1 cost of living adjustment (COLA) that could cost local governments $1.27 billion over the next 15 years. More

New Evergreen Community recognition program open for applications. This new statewide initiative to recognize local governments and tribes for their commitment to urban and community forestry has a rolling application period, with the next review deadline of December 1. More

In honor of Fraud Awareness Week, the State Auditor’s Office has highlighted prevention tools and resources on its website. So far in 2024, the office has issued 17 fraud investigation reports representing more than $2.2 million in misappropriated or questionable uses of public resources. More

The Liquor and Cannabis Board has set the process for issuing new social equity cannabis licenses. Cities that don’t allow cannabis retail will be able to object to any new license applications in their jurisdiction. More

Climate Policy Explorer now available for climate planning. Commerce created a new tool, with over 200 climate measures, to assist cities and counties with implementing required and voluntary climate planning under HB 1181 (2023). Explore today!

Check out NLC’s City AI Governance Dashboard. Thinking about developing an artificial intelligence governance policy for your city? Check out NLC’s City AI Governance Dashboard to see what other U.S. cities are doing in this space. More

Department of Revenue releases its 2024 Wealth Tax Study Report. The Legislature commissioned the report from DOR to analyze wealth taxes in other states and countries and examine the feasibility here in Washington state. More

2026 Business license model ordinance update now available for adoption. AWC worked with a group of cities to propose an update to the business license minimum threshold for out-of-city businesses; a draft of the model is now available. More

Register for AWC’s 2025 legislative session preview
December 5 | Online
Sign up for a preview of the 2025 legislative session on Thursday, December 5, from noon to 1:15 pm. We will talk about what to expect in the upcoming session, review AWC’s legislative agenda, and share helpful advocacy tools and tips. Register now. This an AWC members-only event.

Have you adopted your city’s 2025 legislative agenda?
If so, have you shared it with AWC and your local legislators? If you have adopted it, please send it us so we can include it with the others on our webpage. If you haven’t yet adopted your own agenda, we strongly encourage you to do so. Find tips and ideas from other cities.

wacities.org/Advocacy | Legislative issues
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