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Week Overview General Update Friday, February 7th marked the first cutoff of session where all bills had to move out of the policy committee in the chamber in which they were originally introduced – called the house of origin – or they are now considered dead. The exception for this is... Continue Reading

Week Overview General Update The first cut-off of session is quickly approaching on Friday, February 7th, which means all bills must pass out of their house of origin policy committees or they will be considered dead unless it is deemed ‘Necessary to Implement the Budget’ (NTIB).... Continue Reading

Week Overview General Update Last week was another busy week filled with committee hearings on bills and some floor action in both chambers. A lot of advocates and constituents took the opportunity of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Monday to come to Olympia and visit their... Continue Reading

Week Overview General Update The 2020 session began on Monday, January 13th. This is a short session, so it is only scheduled to go for 60 days, ending on March 12th. As a reminder, Washington runs on a two-year (biennial) cycle. In the short session years, the legislature is scheduled to run... Continue Reading

BSD Bond Bellevue Chamber Endorses School Bond Measure Business Community Supports Bellevue School Improvements BELLEVUE, WA – The Bellevue Chamber today announced its support for the upcoming school bond measure on the February 11, 2020 ballot. The Chamber Policy Council, a group of... Continue Reading

The East King Chambers Coalition encourages Washington State Legislature to support sustained economic vitality. We urge the Legislature to consider and enact, tax incentives to create a positive business climate in all corners of the state, including rural communities. The Legislature should also... Continue Reading

Energy 2020 Session Position A reliable, sustainable and affordable energy supply is vital to the continued economic growth of Washington State. The East King County Chambers Coalition strongly supports the transition to a clean energy future. While utilities continue to face transformational... Continue Reading

A healthy workforce and healthy communities are good for business. As employers and community partners, we recognize the role of excellent health care in the well-being of employees and their families, and we support efforts to improve care and insurance coverage. Many small businesses have... Continue Reading

Unprecedented economic growth and success in the East King County and Greater Puget Sound Region has led to a shortage of housing and a lack of affordability, which must be addressed in this session. We at the East King Chambers Coalition are advocating for all stakeholder groups to join together... Continue Reading

Effective transportation of employees, customers and goods is essential to sustain continued health of our state’s growing economy. The complete and timely implementation of the $16 billion Connecting Washington transportation funding package will help improve our transportation... Continue Reading

Opposition announced at luncheon with Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff BELLEVUE, WA – The Bellevue Chamber today made public its opposition to I-976, the $30 car tab initiative, before a packed audience of over 150 business leaders at the Westin Bellevue. The event featured Sound Transit CEO... Continue Reading

We must reassess our environmental priorities to ensure that we are receiving the most environmental benefit in a way that truly promotes long-term job creation and prosperity. Mandates drive costs up and a blanket approach on environmental policy often creates undue or extreme hardships in local... Continue Reading