Washington's exempt salary threshold hits $80,168 in 2026 and climbs toward $93,000 by 2028, by far the highest in the nation. What employers need to know about the three-part test, the multi-state comparison, and the steps to take now to stay compliant and competitive. Continue Reading
Inside the April PLUSH Committee meeting: opposing the proposed 1,500-unit cap on Bellevue's MFTE catalyst program ahead of the May 5 Council study session, permit timeliness up from 72 to 83 percent in Q1 2026, and the Bel-Red zoning overlay's public-versus-private street debate. Continue Reading
Joe Fain breaks down the March 2026 UI Trust Fund Forecast: Washington's average employer UI tax rate is projected to jump 37% over three years. The driver isn't rising unemployment but a solvency surcharge and changing claimant behavior, and the assumptions may not be conservative enough. Continue Reading
The East King Chambers Coalition heard from US Chamber's Chris Seiler on tariff escalation and HR1 tax provisions, and from the Washington Tax Policy Center on Washington's structural budget gap and new 9.9% income tax. Continue Reading
The Bellevue Mobility Coalition sent City Council a framework for a potential Transportation Benefit District: five funding categories anchored to the growth centers, with property tax and vehicle fee tools reserved for neighborhoods. Signed by Chamber CEO Joe Fain. Continue Reading
Washington's March collections missed forecast by $71.2M, the two-month shortfall is now $113.8M, and lawmakers left just a $231M ending balance. CEO Joe Fain on why this isn't austerity, why even healthy revenue growth won't save a budget built on aggressive assumptions, and what comes next. Continue Reading
The April Policy Council meeting covered three pressing topics: Sound Transit’s $35 to $40 billion ST3 funding gap and the East King sub area equity debate Continue Reading
The Bellevue Chamber's Transportation Committee met April 2 to hear from WSDOT's Director of Innovative Partnerships Anthony Buckley on the state's emerging public-private partnership program, with brief updates on the King County Transportation Benefit District vote and Sound Transit realignment. Continue Reading
The 2026 Eastside Real Estate Symposium opened with Amazon Public Policy Director Guy Palumbo and CBRE Senior Vice President Bryan Oliver on the forces reshaping the region's housing and office markets. Continue Reading
Washington needs 1.1 million homes over 20 years and currently falls short by tens of thousands annually. The ERES policy panel brought together Senator Jessica Bateman on systemic housing reform, Bellevue Director Nick Whipple on development services improvements and GovStream AI, and Saf Rabah Continue Reading
Since the Wilburton rezone passed in June 2025, developers have submitted applications for over 2,300 housing units in the 300-acre neighborhood. The ERES panel examined the code buildability strategies, MFTE Supercharger, and East Rail infrastructure that made Wilburton a model Continue Reading
Dartmouth economist Andrew Samwick closed ERES 2026 with a keynote on federal fiscal headwinds, AI's real employment impact, and the structural advantages positioning the Eastside for continued growth. Continue Reading
