Ron Muzzall — Senator King is introduced in connection with the SB 5989 briefing, then, as ranking member, moves to advance SB 5989 without recommendation to the Ways and Means Committee. Later in the same discussion, Meredith references a comment King made about her being 11 months into the job.
Ron Muzzall — Referenced in a lighthearted suggestion that a new ferry be named the King Ferry.
SB5989 — The committee discusses Senate Bill 5989, which redistributes the sales tax on aircraft fuel and affects the general fund, and then votes to advance the bill without recommendation to the Ways and Means Committee.
Kelly Simpson — Kelly Simpson, committee staff, briefs the committee on SB 5989, explaining that the bill redistributes the sales tax on aircraft fuel and may be more appropriately referred to Ways and Means because of its impact on the general fund.
Julie Meredith — The committee introduces Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith for a presentation on Keeping Washington Moving, the chair briefly thanks her for her work since taking office and for helping address the state’s transportation challenges, and Meredith then begins her presentation by introducing herself and outlining the department’s mission and outlook.
Curtis King — Referenced as having commented on the crews' performance.
Curtis King — Curtis King is introduced as the ranking member and then asks about 2026 transportation funding, specifically whether more money could go toward preservation and maintenance if paving is not increased. The exchange continues with lighthearted remarks about his questions and prior bill presentations, followed by praise for his tough but fair questioning and for his long-standing, respectful relationship with the speaker.
Curtis King — Senator Curtis King is mentioned in the context of the Yakima potentially being decommissioned, with the speaker noting that he would be very sad if that happened.
Curtis King — Acknowledged by the chair as the ranking member and begins his remarks/questions.
Curtis King — The chair identifies him as the ranking member.
Curtis King — Asked whether three additional ferries would need to be rebid or could be added to the existing Florida manufacturer contract.
Curtis King — Curtis King is referenced in a committee discussion where he is thanked for the invitation and noted as having asked an earlier question. Later remarks refer back to King’s question to Secretary Meredith and Megan Cotton about additional preservation funding, and another unclear transcription likely also points to him in the same ongoing exchange.
Phil Fortunato — Senator Phil Fortunato addressed the secretary, praised her for doing a great job, and said he would support efforts to secure additional funding, continuing his question/comment in the same exchange.
Phil Fortunato — Senator Phil Fortunato asked a multi-part question about vessel capacity, the cost differences between hybrid-electric and diesel vessels, and whether diesel vessels could come online sooner. The response addressed his questions about diesel timing and hybrid-electric costs.
Javier Valdez — Responded briefly and then began comments to the director.
Jeff Wilson — Senator Jeff Wilson thanked the chair and secretary, then continued his remarks by praising Secretary Meredith and noting their work together on transportation issues.
John Lovick — John Lovick is mentioned in an ongoing ferry-related discussion: first as someone the speaker wants to keep informed about ferry service restoration, and then as the source of a point that a 60-year service life is roughly double what private fleet operators would typically keep a vessel in service. The mentions together reflect a continuous conversation about ferry operations, restoration, and vessel lifespan.
John Lovick — Vice Chair Lovick thanks Kelly Snyder for the work done in Snohomish County.
John Lovick — Vice Chair Lovick thanks Kelly Snyder and praises the county's work in Snohomish County.
John Lovick — Was thanked for support and acknowledged by the speaker.
John Lovick — Likely the intended reference in the phrase 'Senator Chairman Leas'; context suggests the chair was being addressed, but the transcription is unclear.
John Lovick — The chair is likely being addressed indirectly in the committee context, though no direct name appears here.
Derek Stanford — Secretary Meredith is referenced alongside Jenna in a discussion of the vessel build timeline and plan, including the expected timing for the first vessel in 2030.
Emily Alvarado — The discussion centers on Senator Emily Alvarado’s involvement and familiarity with the Fauntleroy terminal and triangle route project. Speakers reference her constituents’ feedback and frustrations during the process, note her district’s strong interest in the service contingency plan, and then Alvarado herself thanks the chair and staff, praises the work on new vessels, and raises concerns about the contingency plan and triangle route before following up and thanking the team for their responsiveness.
Jenna — Jenna is introduced as a relatively new staffer who has only been on the job six months, the discussion is then turned over to her, and she is welcomed back before the committee as someone who has appeared previously and met with members during the interim.
Hadley — Thanked for attending meetings on Vashon and being responsive to constituents.
Heather — Thanked at the end of the remarks.
Stephen Ellis — Stephen Ellis of the Association of Washington Cities is introduced and then identifies himself as the presenter on city preservation needs for the organization.
Ashley Probard — Ashley Probard is introduced as the executive director of the Transportation Improvement Board, and the discussion continues by noting that she can provide more detail on the state of roads and paving in the state.
John Braun — Thanked as part of the committee transition; likely a transcription error for a member name, but kept as spoken because the exact identity is uncertain.
Ashley Probart — Ashley Probart, executive director of the Transportation Improvement Board, introduced herself and explained TIB’s funding role, then added that the board recently awarded about $150 million in grants across roughly 130 projects in November.
Stephen — Referenced as a comparison point in the speaker's joke about being 'Ashley 5.0.'
Stephen — Referenced as having previously mentioned the timing requirement.
Stephen — Referenced in comparison to the cities' study update.
Ashley — Referenced in the comparison 'Stephen is Ashley 5.0.'
Axel Swanson — Axel Swanson, managing director of the Washington State Association of County Engineers, is introduced as the first county panel presenter and then opens the county panel remarks, identifying himself with the County Engineers Association.
Kelly Snyder — Kelly Snyder, the Snohomish County public works director, is introduced remotely and then begins her testimony on storm response and recovery efforts.
Kelly Snyder — Kelly Snyder concludes her update on Snohomish County’s ongoing storm response, noting continued assessments, emergency repairs, and planning for longer-term resilient repairs. The following speaker then thanks her and the county team for their work on the response.
Jane Wall — Introduced as the executive director of the County Road Administration Board.
Jane Wall — Introduced herself as being with the County Road Administration Board and thanked the committee for staying through the presentation.
Jane Wall — Thanked at the close of the presentation.
Kelly — Acknowledged as part of the staff team that helps with the presentation process.
Kelly — Jane Wall said she would build on Kelly's earlier remarks about the storm impacts.
Axel — Referenced as having noted that conditions are dynamic and the map is already out of date.
Axel — Referenced as having previously discussed ongoing maintenance challenges.