Transcript Highlights:

• That's from Fairfax. Dr. Watts? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• From Fairfax, Doug. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr.
• From Fairfax, Dr. Helmer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr.
• From Fairfax, Dr. Helmer. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr.
• From Fairfax, Lady Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Keywords: March 12, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As Chair Liias mentioned, this relates to the Fairfax Bridge.
• Department of Transportation is asked to determine that the closure of the Fairfax Bridge and its immediate
• And a proud senator for the city of Wilkinson, and of which this Fairfax Bridge is a primary source of
• The permanent closure of the Fairfax Bridge has severed a critical access corridor for rural residents
• I’ve been across that Fairfax Bridge thousands of times for work and for play.

Bills: SJM8016, SB6230, SB5234, SB6081, SB6265, SB6170, SB6131, SB6155, SB6176, SB6238, SB6253, SB6311, SB6032, SB6262

Keywords: bridge repair, infrastructure, emergency funding, transportation, public safety, cash transactions, pennies, currency, economic efficiency, financial regulation, snowmobile, snowmobile registration, vehicle registration fees, registration fee, Department of Licensing, DOL, recreational vehicles, winter recreation, vintage snowmobile, parks and recreation

Summary: The committee’s work session focused first on ignition interlock device compliance. Traffic Safety Commission staff described a Yakima County pilot that provides enhanced probation supervision and support for DUI-affected drivers, reporting that compliance with interlock installation rose from roughly 16%–20% before the program to 41% after implementation among the medium- and high-risk population. Staff identified major barriers as cost, confusing and inconsistent procedures, and transportation access, and suggested policy changes such as allowing payment plans and simplifying compliance pathways. JLARC then presented its preliminary audit, estimating an overall 41% installation/completion rate statewide, finding that installation rates rise with income, that financial assistance reaches only about 11% of eligible users on average, and that the Department of Licensing and State Patrol need clearer coordination, goals, and a formal agreement to jointly administer the program. The State Patrol also reported on a Snohomish County outreach pilot that made 616 contacts, found many drivers were unaware of financial assistance, and identified some drivers as physically unable to drive, without vehicles, unable to afford the program, or subject to active warrants; the patrol said it would continue similar outreach in Yakima and use data analysis to target compliance efforts. The committee then received a broader traffic safety update from the Traffic Safety Commission. Staff reported that serious injuries and fatalities in traffic crashes rose sharply over the last several years, though 2024 showed some improvement, including a 9% drop in fatalities and a 15% drop in impaired-driving fatalities from 2023. Pedestrian deaths remained high, while unrestrained and speeding-related fatalities also remained significant concerns. The commission also presented telematics-based research showing that targeted enforcement and visible police presence can reduce speeds; one project found each additional hour of officer presence per mile was associated with a 5.6 mph decrease in average speed. A second telematics project using opt-in insurance-based data showed high rates of phone use and speeding among drivers, and the commission said local agencies are using the tool for corridor-level enforcement planning and evaluation. In public hearing, the committee heard Senate Joint Memorial 8016, which asks federal officials to treat the Fairfax Bridge closure and replacement as an emergency and to accelerate federal review. The sponsor and several supporters from Wilkeson, Carbonado, recreation groups, and nearby communities said the bridge closure has hurt tourism, emergency response, and access to Mount Rainier and surrounding recreation areas. Testimony was entirely in support, and the chair announced 67 pro and zero con sign-ins. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6230, which would require cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five-cent increment in light of the Treasury’s decision to stop minting pennies. Staff explained the bill’s rounding rules and noted a Department of Licensing fiscal note of about $186,000 for technology changes; retail and food industry representatives supported the bill but asked for amendments on permissiveness, tax treatment, consumer protections, and local preemption. During executive session, staff briefed several bills and substitutes, including snowmobile registration fee increases, gender-designation record confidentiality, streamlined salvage-title transfers, utility and fish-barrier-related changes, inflation adjustments for emergency state highway work thresholds, public-health authority language for the Traffic Safety Commission, special parking privilege renewal changes, expired registration enforcement, oil tanker tug-escort requirements, and transit board labor-member provisions. No final votes were taken in the portion of the meeting provided, though the committee waived the five-day notice to hear the day’s public hearing bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• As Chair Leas mentioned, this relates to the Fairfax Bridge.
• Department of Transportation to determine that the closure of the Fairfax Bridge and its immediate replacement
• The permanent closure of the Fairfax Bridge has severed a critical access corridor for rural residents
• "...of having the Fairfax Bridge closed, not only on the town of Wilkeson, but also on the surrounding
• I've been across that Fairfax Bridge thousands of times for work and for play.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held a work session focused on ignition interlock device compliance and broader traffic safety data. Traffic Safety Commission staff described a Yakima County pilot that provides enhanced probation supervision and support for DUI offenders, reporting that compliance with ignition interlock installation rose from roughly 16%–20% before the pilot to 41% among medium- and high-risk offenders, with barriers including cost, confusion about requirements, transportation access, and communication gaps. JLARC staff presented a statewide preliminary audit finding an overall 41% installation rate, with higher installation rates among higher-income drivers and limited use of financial assistance; JLARC recommended clearer goals for the assistance program and a formal coordination agreement between the Department of Licensing and State Patrol. State Patrol also reported on a Snohomish County outreach pilot that used troopers and door hangers to contact noncompliant drivers, found many were unaware of financial aid, and identified some drivers as physically unable to drive, without vehicles, or on warrant status. The committee then received a broader traffic safety update showing that serious injuries and fatalities rose sharply in recent years before declining somewhat in 2024; impaired-driving fatalities fell 15% from 2023 to 2024, while pedestrian fatalities remained near record highs. The Traffic Safety Commission also highlighted telematics-based research showing that targeted enforcement and visible patrols can reduce speeding, and that anonymized telematics data is being used to analyze speeding and distracted driving patterns statewide and at the corridor level. Members asked about privacy, enforcement methods, and how the data are used, and staff emphasized that the data are aggregate and opt-in through insurance or similar programs. After waiving five-day notice, the committee held a public hearing on Senate Joint Memorial 8016, which asks Congress and federal agencies to treat the Fairfax Bridge closure and replacement as an emergency and to expedite federal review and remove historic-register barriers. Supporters from Wilkeson, Carbonado, recreation groups, and nearby communities testified that the bridge closure has harmed tourism, emergency response, recreation access, and daily travel. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6230, which would require cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest five cents in light of the federal penny phaseout; staff said the Department of Licensing fiscal note showed a $186,000 technology cost, and retail and food industry representatives supported the bill but requested amendments for permissive language, safe harbors, consumer protections, and local preemption. In executive session, staff briefed members on several bills and substitutes, including snowmobile registration fee increases, gender designation record confidentiality, salvaged title transfer streamlining, fish-barrier/utility relocation changes, emergency highway work thresholds, a Traffic Safety Commission public-health-authority proposal, special parking privilege renewal changes, parked vehicle registration enforcement, and oil tanker tug-escort requirements. No final votes or bill actions were recorded in the excerpt beyond the motion to waive notice and the completion of the public hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sure she was the bridge.
• I'm sure she was the bridge.
• Speaker, the delegate from Fairfax, Delegate Simon.
• Delegate from Fairfax, Delegate Krizek. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• Delegate from Fairfax, Delegate Watts. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Keywords: March 13, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Delegate Delaney from Fairfax. Mr.
• The delegate from Fairfax, Delegate Simon. Mr.
• The delegate from Fairfax, Delegate Simon. Mr.
• The delegate from Fairfax, Delegate Simon. Mr.
• The delegate from Fairfax...

Keywords: March 10, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with inspection, cleanup, and shoring of the bridge, which allowed the bridge to reopen quickly on Monday
• FAIR funds will fund improvements to municipally owned bridges across the Commonwealth.
• The bill also includes $500 million to improve bridges and pavement.
• And whether it's a bridge or a highway, that's key.
• The bridge itself is critical to that whole corridor.

Bills: H4987, S2905

Keywords: transportation bond bill, municipal roads, municipal bridges, Chapter 90, road aid, highway funding, bridge repair, pavement, MassDOT, MBTA, rail reliability, commuter rail locomotives, Fair Share surtax, Commonwealth Transportation Fund, infrastructure financing, bond authorization, deferred maintenance, climate resilience, parkways, DCR

Transcript Highlights:

• We do fund over three biennia the Fairfax Bridge, which a lot of you have heard about, along with providing
• We do fund over three biennia, the Fairfax Bridge, which a lot of you have heard about. over three biennia
• , the Fairfax Bridge, which a lot of you have heard about along as long as with providing them some money
• like Fairfax, the Carbon River Bridge, the overpass on I-90 near Moses Lake that has had to be shut
• The bridges we've seen across the interim that have faced challenges, it's just going to give us more

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: Senate Transportation Committee leaders presented a bipartisan transportation budget package made up of three bills: a supplemental budget, a bond proposal, and a resources bill with technical updates. Chair Mark Olius and Ranking Member Curtis King said the plan is balanced over six years, uses conservative assumptions, and includes no new taxes, relying instead on bonding and existing revenue changes. They emphasized three priorities: preservation and maintenance of highways, bridges, ferries, and flood-damaged infrastructure; safety, including more funding for State Patrol staffing and tribal traffic safety; and job creation through infrastructure investment. The supplemental budget would add about $1.7 billion for preservation over six years, including roughly $1.3 billion for highways, plus $100 million for preservation-related safety improvements. It also includes funding for ferry preservation, flood recovery loans for local transportation infrastructure, Columbia River dredging, the Fairfax Bridge, and State Patrol staffing. Questions from members and reporters focused on how much roadwork the preservation money would cover, why the proposal does not include funding for three additional new ferries, and how federal FEMA aid and ongoing mediation over treaty obligations factored into the budget. The senators said the first three ferries are fully funded, that future vessel purchases will be revisited later, and that flood recovery funds were included now so local governments can repair roads without waiting for federal action. The resources bill would create a mobile driver’s license program for 2028 and dedicate a portion of future sales tax revenue to ferry operations. It also repeals the luxury aircraft tax and replaces it with higher aviation fuel taxes and annual registration fees, which the senators said better avoids unintended consequences for aircraft businesses while still requiring transportation users to contribute. The package also includes studies on hydrogen ferries and updating the in-state shipyard bid credit, and it proposes more efficient ferry maintenance and emergency response capacity at Eagle Harbor. No votes were taken in the transcript, and the senators said they would continue presenting the proposal to caucus members for support.

Transcript Highlights:

• This joint memorial requests that the closure and replacement of the Fairfax Bridge be considered an
• the National Environmental Policy Act review be shifted to take place concurrent with or after the bridge
• that the Endangered Species Act review also be shifted to take place concurrently with or after the bridge
• Bridge and its immediate replacement be considered an emergency, is now before us.
• Fairfax Bridge and its immediate replacement be considered an emergency is now before us.

Summary: The Transportation Committee met in executive session and considered seven measures, with staff briefing members on proposed amendments and substitutes. The main policy bills included Substitute Senate Bill 6066 on crash prevention zones, Senate Bill 6131 on the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission’s role in traffic safety and fatality review, Senate Bill 6311 on maintaining pedestrian passage during construction, Senate Bill 6230 on rounding cash transactions to eliminate pennies, Senate Bill 6032 on covering or cleaning towed vehicles with mud or debris, and Senate Bill 6335 revising the State Transportation Commission. The committee also considered Substitute Joint Memorial 8016, urging federal emergency treatment for the Fairfax Bridge closure and replacement. Members discussed competing amendments on SB 6066, including proposals to clarify enforcement coordination, signage, penalty amounts, and the scope of local versus state crash prevention zones. On SB 6131, amendments were offered to either remove or narrow the Traffic Safety Commission’s public health authority designation, while another amendment added HIPAA-related definitions and confidentiality protections. For SB 6311, the substitute focused on continuous accessible pedestrian passage near hospitals, parks, and schools, with later clarifications on where the requirement applies, local feasibility standards, and liability limits. SB 6230’s amendments would have allowed exact-payment exceptions and permissive rounding authority, while SB 6032’s amendment would have required reusable covers if a driver chooses to cover a towed vehicle. The committee adopted or accepted substitutes and then advanced all seven measures with do-pass recommendations to the Rules Committee. Senator King withdrew his SB 6066 substitute, SB 6131’s withdrawn amendments were replaced by adoption of amendment S-4874.1, and SB 6311’s substitute was withdrawn and then advanced in the revised form. SB 6230’s amendments were withdrawn after members noted a floor substitute was being worked on, and SB 6032’s amendment was set aside because the prime sponsor was absent. The meeting ended with thanks to committee staff and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The SR 1865 Fairfax Bridge, $12 million of the underlying bridge funding, was carved out to assist with
• the planning, design, and environmental review for a new bridge for the Fairfax Bridge project.
• The SR-1865 Fairfax Bridge, 12 million of the underlying bridge funding, was carved out to assist with
• the planning, design, and environmental review for a new bridge for the Fairfax Bridge project.
• year that prohibit the Transportation Commission from exempting transit buses from tolls on toll bridges

Summary: The House Transportation Committee held public hearings on a proposed substitute for House Bill 2306, the 2026 transportation supplemental budget, and on proposed substitute House Bill 2711, a transportation resources bill. Staff described HB 2306 as revising the enacted 2025-27 transportation budget, increasing spending by about $1.1 billion to $16.5 billion, largely through reappropriations and new funding for preservation, maintenance, rail, transit, active transportation, ferries, licensing, and State Patrol needs. The chair and ranking member emphasized caution because of downward revenue forecasts, uncertainty around major project bids and future fish passage costs, and the decision to use existing bond authority without new bonding. Public testimony on HB 2306 generally supported preservation, maintenance, rail improvements, dredging, transit access, and local safety projects, while some witnesses urged more support for EV incentives and long-term transportation funding stability. For HB 2711, staff explained that the bill responds to administrative issues in last year’s transportation resources law, including fuel tax inflation adjustments, luxury vehicle/aircraft/vessel taxes, the indigent tow reimbursement program, tire fee language, and other tax administration provisions. The proposed substitute would repeal the luxury aircraft tax, adjust peer-to-peer rental car tax administration, restore authority for the Transportation Commission to exempt transit buses from tolls, waive certain penalties and interest tied to early compliance with the luxury vehicle tax, allow lease payments to be taxed incrementally, add exemptions for tribal members and nonresidents, change transfer timing between accounts, and create a Preserve Washington Account for highway preservation and maintenance. Fiscal notes projected additional revenue from aligning use tax with sales tax and modest administrative costs, while delaying the tow reimbursement program reduced near-term expenditures. Testimony on HB 2711 was mixed. RV dealers asked for a delay to the luxury vehicle tax, arguing the industry is already in decline and the tax could push sales out of state. WFSE supported the new Preserve Washington Account and urged higher bid limits for highway maintenance work. Committee members asked for clarification on the peer-to-peer rental car tax and the transit bus toll exemption. The chair announced that executive session on the bills, along with one other measure, would occur Wednesday, and members were told to submit amendment requests by the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Amendments 1 and 2 add Memorial Bridge to the name of the bridge. Thank you very much.
• And Post No. 14, if you are driving along the Cross Lake Bridge, you can actually see it just looking
• down off of the bridge.

Bills: HB129, HB130, HB854

Keywords: HB 129, Act 783, highway designation, memorial highway, Louisiana Highway 173, Louisiana Highway 3194, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Dr. Harry Blake Sr., Virginia Green Evans, DOTD, Department of Transportation and Development, road signage, honorary naming, commemorative sign, transportation, HB 130, Act 124, Louisiana highway memorial, road naming

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on March 17 and first took up House Bill 129, which would designate a portion of Louisiana Highway 173 as the Dr. Harry Blake Senior Memorial Highway. An amendment package was adopted that also added a separate designation for a portion of Louisiana Highway 3194 in Shreveport as the Virginia Green Evans Memorial Highway. Representative Walters described both honorees as important figures in civil rights and community service. HB 129 was then reported with amendments. The committee next considered House Bill 130, which redesignates the elevated portion of Interstate 220 in Caddo Parish as the American Legion Post No. 14 Memorial Bridge. Amendments were adopted to add “Memorial Bridge” to the name. Representative Walters spoke in support of honoring veterans, and HB 130 was reported with amendments. The committee then heard House Bill 854, a specialty license plate bill. Amendments added several schools, made technical changes, required OMV implementation when statutory and system requirements are met, removed a provision allowing OMV to retain $1 per annual fee, and redirected annual fees to the Louisiana chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association and the R. Tamney-Fleming Lupus Foundation. Members raised concerns about the growing number of specialty plates and OMV’s ability to produce them, but HB 854 was also reported with amendments. After the bills, the committee received an update on the proposed privatization of the Cameron Ferry Service. The Secretary said the process began with an unsolicited proposal from Laborde and a competitive solicitation that produced a qualified bid, and that negotiations would focus on service improvements rather than guaranteed cost savings. Members asked about costs, maintenance, fuel, staffing, and the impact on travel times if the ferry is out of service. The Secretary said the goal is to complete the process by the end of the fiscal year, around July 1. The committee then adopted the minutes from the listed 2025 regular session dates and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 2111 relates to allowing the Interstate 5 bridge replacement project House Bill 2111 relates
• to allowing the Interstate 5 bridge replacement project toll facility bond retirement account to keep
• By way of background, the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project, or IBR project, is a bi-state project
• The I-5 bridge is a 109-year-old structure.
• We are in a race against Mother Nature to replace that bridge on our terms before a Cascadia megathrust

Bills: HB1823, HB2092, HB2111, HB2114

Keywords: transportation improvement board, TIB, transportation improvement account, motor vehicle fund, arterial streets, local match, private match, grant funding, transportation grants, county roads, city streets, transportation benefit district, urban county, small city program, active transportation, pedestrian, bicycle, bike routes, transit, public transit

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard four bills. HB 1823 was described as a technical cleanup bill for the Transportation Improvement Board, updating obsolete references and repealing outdated sections; a proposed substitute would restore language that had inadvertently removed remaining bond authority. Rep. Lowe and TIB supported the bill, calling it a good-government measure, and there was no opposition. The committee then heard HB 292, which would create a Washington State Amtrak Cascades Passenger Rail Advisory Committee. The prime sponsor and supporters said the goal was to give riders and stakeholders a regular, statutory forum to provide feedback to WSDOT; several testifiers urged broader statewide representation, inclusion of disability advocates, and possible participation by rail industry stakeholders such as BNSF. Testimony was broadly supportive, with some suggestions for amendments to expand the committee’s scope and membership. The committee next heard HB 2111, which would allow the Interstate 5 bridge replacement project toll facility bond retirement account to retain its share of interest earnings instead of having them credited to the general fund. Staff and the State Treasurer’s office said the change would keep revenue dedicated to the bridge project and avoid accounting and tax concerns; the chair and a business representative from Clark County supported advancing the bill as a necessary step for the project. Finally, HB 2114 would require the Department of Licensing to waive replacement plate fees for defective plates within two years of issuance and allow waivers in some cases between two and five years. The sponsor said the bill responds to widespread plate delamination complaints, especially in eastern Washington, and county auditors and other local officials testified in favor as a customer-service fix, though they asked for clearer definitions and noted the state’s newer flat plates may reduce the problem over time. The Department of Licensing fiscal note estimated limited annual replacements but significant one-time system update costs. The hearing on HB 2114 was left open briefly for a testifier who could not connect, and then the public hearing was temporarily closed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some have been bridge strikes and others aging bridges that deteriorated due to shortfalls and preservation
• Here are a couple examples: the continued work to address the bridge deck on the Vantage Bridge on I-
• Of our more than 3,400 bridges, 342 are over 80 years old, exceeding their bridge service life.
• or a movable bridge.
• “Representative Dent, are you going to be asking about a particular bridge?” “About a bridge?”

Bills: HB2306

Keywords: transportation budget, capital budget, operating budget, appropriations, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT, Washington State Patrol, Department of Licensing, ferry funding, state ferries, highway maintenance, road preservation, bridge replacement, tolling, express toll lanes, traffic safety, speed cameras, ignition interlock, transit grants, public transit

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard a presentation from Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith on WSDOT’s mission, staffing, major projects, and the agency’s focus on preservation, safety, ferries, culvert replacement, and emergency response. Meredith highlighted storm and flood recovery, bridge strikes and aging infrastructure, ferry service improvements and fleet replacement needs, the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, Revive I-5, the North Spokane Corridor, and preparations for the 2026 World Cup. Members asked about ferry service reliability, IBR cost uncertainty, staffing needs, and aviation assets. The committee then took public testimony on the governor’s proposed supplemental transportation budget and HB 2306, which would make supplemental transportation appropriations totaling $16.7 billion, about $1.2 billion above the enacted base budget. OFM staff said the proposal emphasizes preservation, maintenance, ferries, and some local and agency investments, with about $3.1 billion in bonding capacity used and roughly $2 billion remaining. The governor’s office proposed $2 billion for preservation, including bridge, paving, maintenance, and other asset work, $1 billion for Washington State Ferries, $2.2 million for the new county road grant program, and smaller investments for WSP communications, DOL access, and Columbia River dredging. Testifiers largely supported the budget’s preservation focus and ferry funding, including representatives from Bainbridge Island, cities, counties, ports, labor, construction, and business groups. Several speakers urged more investment in local roads, bridge repair, and freight infrastructure, while transit and rail advocates asked for more rail funding and less highway expansion. One ferry advocate criticized hybrid-electric ferry maintenance costs and questioned electrification, while another speaker warned against a pay-per-mile tax. The hearing ended after testimony with no votes taken and the committee adjourned early.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:07:22.160><c> was</c> that the Washington Avenue Bridge was that the Washington Avenue Bridge
• and there are no barriers on that bridge and there are no barriers on that bridge<00:07:42.520><c> to
• </c> made it our mission to stop this bridge made it our mission to stop this bridge from<00:08:05.280
• </c><00:10:50.800><c> the</c> life-saving barrier on that bridge the life-saving barrier on that bridge
• ><c> something</c><00:10:52.399><c> we're</c> Golden Gate Bridge is something we're Golden Gate Bridge

Bills: HF192, HF268, HF1214, HF494

Keywords: Minnesota income tax, dependent exemption, personal income tax, tax relief, family tax relief, children, dependents, tax deduction, tax exemption, state revenue, inflation indexing, tax year 2025, taxable income, household tax policy, family tax credit, HF268, Joshua Schmidt Memorial Highway, memorial highway, highway naming, road designation

Transcript Highlights:

• The delegate from Fairfax supporting tyranny. The delegate for Fairfax, Delegate Delaney. Mr.
• Delegate from Fairfax. nature substitute. Delegate from Fairfax, Delegate Helmer. Thank you, Mr.
• Done from Fairfax, delegate. Mr.
• Delegate from Fairfax, Delegate Tran. Mr.
• Delegate from Fairfax, Delegate Tran. Mr.

Keywords: March 11, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• preservation, we are focused both on preservation and maintenance of our state highways and our state bridges
• We do fund over three biennia the Fairfax Bridge, which a lot of you have heard about.
• like Fairfax, the Carbon River Bridge, and the overpass on I-90 near Moses Lake that has had to be shut
• The bridges we've seen across the interim that have faced challenges, it's just going to give us more
• We asked, you know, transit to pay tolls on bridges, and we asked, you know, drivers and various vehicle

Summary: Senate Transportation Committee Chair Marko Liias and Ranking Member Curtis King presented the Senate transportation budget package, describing three bills: a supplemental transportation budget, a bond proposal, and a resources bill with technical updates to last year’s law. They said the package prioritizes preservation and maintenance of highways, bridges, ferries, and flood-damaged infrastructure, along with safety investments such as additional funding for preservation-related safety work, State Patrol staffing, and tribal traffic safety. They also emphasized job creation from infrastructure spending and said the plan uses no new taxes, relying instead on bonding and existing revenue changes. The senators highlighted several major elements, including about $1.7 billion for preservation over six years, $1.1 billion in bonding, a $400 million reserve for cost increases, funding to complete the first three new ferries, disaster relief loans for local transportation agencies, Columbia River dredging, and funding for the Fairfax Bridge and related alternate routes. The resources bill would create a mobile driver’s license program, dedicate a portion of future sales tax revenue to ferry operations, and repeal the luxury aircraft tax while replacing it with higher aviation fuel taxes and annual registration fees. They said the ferry system still needs more vessels beyond the first three, but they want more study before committing to a longer-term procurement plan. In response to questions, the senators said WSDOT will determine specific preservation project priorities, including paving and bridge work, and that the budget does not add new passenger-only ferry operating money now that domestic ferry service has largely been restored. They also said the package includes studies on leasing hydrogen ferries and updating the in-state shipyard bid credit, and that flood recovery funding was structured to help local governments repair roads now while waiting for possible federal FEMA reimbursement. No votes were taken in the transcript; the discussion was a budget rollout and question-and-answer session.

Transcript Highlights:

• serve in the House, and I'm in the 13th Legislative District, which is Falls Church City and lots of Fairfax
• Ken Reed, citizen representative from Falls Church, Virginia, Fairfax County. All right.
• So therefore, if you, let's say, for instance, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors' quorum, I guess,
• I am the countywide FOIA officer for Fairfax County government.
• We're already implementing updated training in Fairfax County.

Keywords: Freedom of Information Advisory Council, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then Haji 483 by Representative Fey directs that the I-5 bridge replacement project toll facility
• I know that for members of the building trades, the workers who repair our roads and our bridges, they
• The allocation that we're giving to roads and bridges represents an important source of work.
• For commuters, investments in maintenance and preservation will help keep roads and bridges open and
• , and goes toward those payments of the cost of the bridge.

Bills: HB2306, HB2711

Keywords: transportation budget, capital budget, operating budget, appropriations, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT, Washington State Patrol, Department of Licensing, ferry funding, state ferries, highway maintenance, road preservation, bridge replacement, tolling, express toll lanes, traffic safety, speed cameras, ignition interlock, transit grants, public transit

Transcript Highlights:

• The SR-1865 Fairfax Bridge, $12 million of the underlying bridge funding, was carved out to assist with
• the planning, design, and environmental review for a new bridge for the Fairfax Bridge project.
• year that prohibit the Transportation Commission from exempting transit buses from tolls on toll bridges
• year that prohibit the Transportation Commission from exempting transit buses from tolls on toll bridges

Bills: HB2306, HB2711

Keywords: transportation budget, capital budget, operating budget, appropriations, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT, Washington State Patrol, Department of Licensing, ferry funding, state ferries, highway maintenance, road preservation, bridge replacement, tolling, express toll lanes, traffic safety, speed cameras, ignition interlock, transit grants, public transit

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the 520 bridge, which the toll right now is $4.95. We'll see if we can get that down.
• As more people return to office work and with a reduced capacity on the Ship Canal Bridge into downtown
• this point has authorized the collection of tolls on the following facilities: the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
• , State Route 520 floating bridge, the State Route 99 tunnel, new sections of State Route 167 and State
• This bill is important to us because when tolls begin to be collected on the Interstate Bridge, we want

Bills: HB2307, HB2374, HB2379, HB1823, HB2111

Keywords: commute trip reduction, definitions, transportation, environmental impact, urban planning, electric bicycles, electric motorcycles, regulation, vehicle classification, tolling, emergency suspension, public access, state highways, transportation improvement board, TIB, transportation improvement account, motor vehicle fund, arterial streets, local match, private match

Summary: The Transportation Committee heard public testimony on three bills. HB 2307 would remove the current 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. start-time requirement from the state commute trip reduction program so more employers and shift workers could qualify for CTR benefits. The bill sponsor and supporters from Microsoft, Transportation Choices Coalition, Move Redmond, Commute Seattle, WSDOT’s TDM Technical Committee, and Tacoma on the Go said the change would modernize the program, expand access to transit passes, vanpools, and bike benefits, and improve congestion, affordability, and equity. No one testified in opposition. The committee then heard HB 2374, which would more clearly distinguish electric-assisted bicycles from higher-powered electric motorcycles, require labeling and other consumer disclosures, and create a DOL work group to study enforcement and consumer protection issues. Supporters included city officials, school-age testifiers, bike and trail organizations, and park/recreation advocates, who said the bill would address unsafe high-speed vehicles being marketed as e-bikes, especially those ridden by minors, while preserving access for true e-bikes. Some testifiers asked for additional enforcement tools for under-16 riders and for broader representation on the work group. Finally, the committee heard HB 2379, which would require WSDOT to suspend tolling on facilities that could serve as evacuation routes during emergencies until the agency determines tolling can resume. The sponsor cited recent wildfire and flood evacuation concerns and said people should not have to think about tolls while evacuating. Staff noted the bill would reduce toll revenue during suspensions and could have indeterminate implementation costs. After the hearings, the committee recessed and then took executive action, adopting a proposed substitute for HB 1823 and passing HB 2111 by voice vote; both measures were approved with 27 aye votes and no nays, with two members excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides a bridge to the foundation provides a bridge to the foundation formula.
• At the same time, it builds the bridge to the foundation formula that will deliver the equitable and
• Bartley of Fairfax. Yes. Rebecca Venuski. Byron Riverens. Yes. Bishop of Colchester. Yes.
• Bartley of Fairfax. >> Bos Westminster.
• Bartholomew of Heartland, Bartley of Bartholomew of Heartland, Bartley of Fairfax: yes.

Keywords: 926, house, all