Item No.   11a
Meeting Date:  November 16, 2021
Draft 2022 State Legislative Agenda
Briefing to the Port of Seattle Commission
November 16, 2021
Eric ffitch, Senior Government Relations Manager
Trent House, Contract Lobbyist

Overview
Olympia preview  what to expect from 2022 Session
Short session, supplemental budget year and overall budget picture
Major issues that are expected
Virtual or hybrid session?

Agenda development process
Evaluate progress made last session
Incorporate ongoing work and core priorities
Next steps
Incorporate additional Commission feedback between now and 12/7
Seek Commission adoption of final agenda in 12/7




2

Priority Agenda Items
Invest in essential workforces: Essential activities that kept the economy running early in the pandemic included maritime and
freight operations, air cargo and more. The Port seeks continuing state partnership on workforce development in port-related
industries, including through robust support for pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.

Support for a Transportation Revenue Package: Building infrastructure and investing
in moving people and freight supports economic activity and puts people back to work.
Key transportation priorities:
-     West Seattle Bridge partnership
-     Puget Sound Gateway program
-     Robust investment in transit including incentives for zero-emission transit vehicles
-     Strategies that promote low carbon approaches to regional transportation

Progressive climate action: Enactment of progressive climate policies spurs investment in new technologies and generates
demand for a newly skilled workforce, while reducing emissions and improving environmental justice action. With the Clean Fuels
Program and Climate Commitment Act in place, the state should pursue partnership with ports on decarbonization of heavy
transportation from maritime to aviation sectors, including a focus shorepower, on-dock cargo equipment, and working toward
zero emission trucking.

3

Priority Agenda Items - continued
Equity and Community focus: The onset of the pandemic was accompanied by a nationwide push to address historic inequities and
systemic racism. The Port supports state leadership in addressing social injustice, and specifically supports action in the following
areas:
Reduced local match for community improvements: The Port supports reducing the
required local match that non-profit entities must provide in order to receive small-dollar
grants for public improvement projects.
Public contracting and grantmaking: The Port 's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
is eager to work with our community to increase the share of grants and contracts that
go to underserved populations. Small legislative changes under discussion may help us meet
our goals.
Police reform and accountability: The Port supports continued work to improve policing while protecting public safety. Will monitor
and engage to ensure that updates to reforms passed in 2021 align with values that emerged from our own policing assessment.



4

Priority Issue Areas  Quality Jobs and Small Business (page 1)
Quality Jobs: Support proposals that are consistent with the Port's focus on bringing quality, sustainable jobs to the region, including through
proposals that:
Ports engaging in workforce training
Career-connected learning efforts at the state
Strengthen and reform pre-apprentice and apprenticeship programs
Responsible enforcement of labor standards
Continue state partnership on tourism promotion
Support rural economic development




5

Priority Issue Areas  Quality Jobs and Small Business (Page 2)
Small Business: Reduce barriers and provide equity in the workplace; promote inclusion of small businesses, including
disadvantaged, minority, and women owned business enterprises (SMWBEs)
Continued support for repeal of Initiative 200
Contracting flexibility for public owners
SMWBEs compete for small works projects
Small business capacity building and SMWBEs compete in the government marketplace




6

Priority Issue Areas  Transportation and Competitiveness (page 1)
Transportation revenue package development: The Port of Seattle supports enactment of a long-term transportation revenue package to support
trade and Washington's international gateway, stimulate job growth, and support economic recovery. Transportation investment must be undertaken
in a way that does not disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities.
Transportation package revenue raisers:
Price on carbon  maintain distribution outlined in Climate Commitment Act
Road usage charge  future sustainable funding source for transportation?
Gas tax increase  index to inflation?
Transportation package investments:
West Seattle Bridge.
Continue support for critical freight routes
Invest in transit
Port-specific grant program
Reduce conflict between passengers and freight



7

Priority Issue Areas  Transportation and Competitiveness (page 2)
General transportation priorities (not specific to revenue package development):
Continued funding of state transportation projects that are critical to Port of Seattle and Northwest Seaport Alliance operations
Identify funding for Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) improvements identified in the SR 518 Corridor Planning
Study, May 2020
Speed the movement of freight and passengers from origin to destination through seaport and airport facilities
Improve the trade competitiveness of Washington state and our gateway.
Allow for creative approaches to infrastructure development including potential new revenue mechanisms
Affirm the authority of the Port Commission to control access to port facilities by all transportation modes




8

Priority Issue Areas  Transportation and Competitiveness (page 3)
General transportation priorities  continued:
Potential increase in passenger vessel routes; other mobility options that ease access to port facilities.
Promote resilience in the transportation network, including on issues of climate resilience.

Support coordinated approach to regional transportation planning, including aviation planning, to reflect the unprecedented
growth in the region





9

Priority Issue Areas  Transportation and Competitiveness (page 4)
Land use priorities: Continue to advocate on land use issues facing Washington ports, with a specific focus on zoning issues that may affect port
competitiveness. This may include:
-    Proposals  that  reflect  the  "Guiding  Principles:  Stewardship,  Enhancement,  and  Protection  of  Maritime  and  Manufacturing  Lands"
document that was adopted by the Northwest Seaport Alliance on November 1, 2016;
-    Proposals that reflect the Port's commitment to environmental sustainability and that manufacturing and industrial centers are resource
lands of statewide economic significance that are irreplaceable; and
-    Proposals that recognize the role industrial resource lands play in global port competitiveness and in supporting job retention in diverse
economic sectors
-    Proposals that seek to strengthen the Container Ports Element of the
Growth Management Act
-    Recommendations related to the Department of Commerce's Interbay
Public Development Advisory Committee; and
-    Any legislative changes that may impact the efficient functioning of
statewide essential public facilities.


10

Priority Issue Areas  Energy and Environment (page 1)
Support environmental cleanup programs and state-level policies that promote the adoption and implementation of clean energy sources, including:
Low- and zero-carbon fuels for transportation, low or zero emission transit options, and otherwise support the continued reduction in the
cost of low- and zero-carbon energy sources to consumers in the state
Puget Sound health overall, including underwater noise partnership
Streamlining Department of Ecology's wetland mitigation banking program
Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) funding and partnerships
Funding for the state's Recreation and Conservation Office, partnerships and
funding on environmental cleanup
Clean energy technology, building energy efficiency, statewide goals for clean
power


11

Priority Issue Areas  Energy and Environment (page 2)
State partnership with the Port on sustainable aviation fuels
Climate change resilience, including focus on resilience in transportation network
Reduce carbon and air pollution emissions for passengers and employees traveling to and from Port facilities
Policies advanced as part of the Washington Maritime BLUE: 2050 initiative





12

Priority Issue Areas  Tax, Governance, Technology, and more
Tax: Support tax policies at the state level that support the economic health of port-related businesses and activities, including:
Supports those communities that house the warehousing and distribution infrastructure necessary to support the Port of Seattle, the
Northwest Seaport Alliance, and its partners
Policies that reduce the cost of manufacturing activities that support port-related businesses
Governance: Oppose legislation that would create an imbalance of
representatives between the two homeports in their governing of
the Northwest Seaport Alliance
Cybersecurity: Vulnerability of public governments that
manage critical infrastructure.
Broadband: Bridge the digital divide
Technology: Monitor biometric technology proposals.
Human trafficking: Continued partnership with state and local governments to combat human trafficking


13

Next Steps
Today  Commission briefing in public session
Now through December 7, 2021  Incorporate additional feedback received
December 7, 2021  Seek Commission adoption in public session
December 2021 Distribute agenda to key legislators; continue staff and elected level meetings with legislators
January 10, 2022  First day of 2022 state legislative session



14