[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6392788,"mediaKeyId","2109073-9c6104eb2bb24385831e6ab0bb6b7ddf","parentId",2109073,"title","Senate Transportation Committee outlines operating rules; Joint Transportation Committee staff summarizes resources","audioSeconds",256,"startMs",608000,"endMs",864000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2109073-9c6104eb2bb24385831e6ab0bb6b7ddf&start=608&end=864","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2109073-9c6104eb2bb24385831e6ab0bb6b7ddf/thumbnail_608000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6392788/Washington/Senate-Transportation-Committee-outlines-operating-rules-Joint-Transportation-Committee-staff-summarizes-resources","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6392788-d6eec316702d6a138c387404bde2185b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770879213&Signature=L0nX934AxnVLkh9Y2~klj58Ty8gnDFtKxUrbbkh8KbPHCdt-x8FYQHyUtjJ1XdbRyRSJU5XTzOHuopkhIl6XUnp06fp7~EPzer92XbMFOzcSQla8XFWbFDoByEsanQQ~Icd1BQ~f-AyLjCY9cmIeK1pUwElvNuE34MZbINEHlQD~qJSlxF-AJjeRk~1rP1cn8jCHvjAiokKmYVBoVdrMhhwtAwyhZzOr~xqGrMqlWruSUeh7xdpxvg2~4I4ySy0epPwdtSVCMhq9DicmwJpyGFUxT~Z9kSqdie2tTkd5Nh8U5sbFCds03QV4qJKiXYwk6XJeznryf5H7gVqZlQ6tpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate Transportation","date","2025-01-13T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Transportation Committee on Jan. 13 reviewed the committee’s operating procedures for the 2025 session and heard a brief overview from the Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) on its role, studies and resources available to legislators.

Kelly Simpson, committee staff, told members the committee will generally follow Senate rules that require five days’ notice for public hearings and at least two days’ notice for executive sessions where the committee might vote. Simpson also explained the committee’s amendment deadlines: members should notify committee staff by noon the day before an executive session if they plan to offer an amendment, and the amendments will be posted in the electronic bill book by 7 p.m. that evening, subject to chair and ranking member waiver.

Simpson described the signature voting process used in the Senate: when a bill is verbally voted out of committee, staff will circulate majority and minority report signature sheets around the dais; a majority report requires a majority of the full committee membership to sign (10 of 19 members on this committee). If the majority and minority reports are not fully signed, Senate rules require a 24‑hour hold on the bill before it can advance. “Please don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions about the process or any of the rules,” Simpson told members.

Senator Curtis King, the committee ranking member, reinforced the amendment guidance and urged members to submit amendments early where possible, saying late amendments “put a strain on our staff.”

Dave Katterson, committee coordinator for the Joint Transportation Committee, summarized the JTC’s statutory role as a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that conducts transportation studies and produces the biennial Transportation Resource Manual. Katterson said the JTC conducts studies assigned typically through budget provisos, hires consultants when needed, holds four to six meetings per year (often outside Olympia), runs an annual fall tour and maintains the Transportation Resource Manual, which the staff recently updated and will post online; print copies are available on request.

Katterson introduced JTC staff members who support studies, tours and the manual. Lisonbee Cummings and Paul Neal were among the JTC staff introduced; Rachel Dean, the newest staffer, finished the manual update and planned the committee tour. Sonia Plasencia, the committee accountant, noted she will assist members with travel reimbursements for JTC activities.

The briefing was intended to orient newer members to committee procedures, JTC services and the Transportation Resource Manual as a resource for legislators and local governments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Transportation - 1/13/2025 4:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Committee staff reviewed operating procedures for the 2025 session — including notice and amendment deadlines and the signature voting process — and the Joint Transportation Committee briefed members on its studies, the Transportation Resource Manual and member services.","taxTitle","Transportation, Senate, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20512,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6392793,"State transportation budget outlook shows multi‑billion shortfall; ferries and State Patrol accounts singled out",836,1378000,2214000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2109073-9c6104eb2bb24385831e6ab0bb6b7ddf&start=1378&end=2214","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2109073-9c6104eb2bb24385831e6ab0bb6b7ddf/thumbnail_1378000.jpg","/articles/6392793/Washington/State-transportation-budget-outlook-shows-multibillion-shortfall-ferries-and-State-Patrol-accounts-singled-out","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6392793-1a01143e5e5deb06aee93e82088953e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770879213&Signature=GUclIGZvlVGhNeStiS2t--JylG3r0lEBnlJ60M9RV0Ec90racjxOxVHDDq26wYe9yV50zjKkcihKPSKUMj2nv2l~FPpi2XC5lS3ScKoHKowR-jHbwJKhss1lsQ19xfgUd0V20lF3EsFCIvJ6LsWe93whiAE205caNH3prDXeVTGiSdUP3OqqwYUQ3LsTp7ry56V2iWKECJ~yAPzTMtye4KSbjUOfmnWS22sraup6p2JFeIUS-pXKC8fNIw3JaPAaDcuX42nUtCGnSNuQj3u4TjGy~uSiTjLAXWc4dBmj6YhfhciMjHbNGGyNQk6dU2gbZqPrzXe3bR9OwFw8tBsnxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate staff warned lawmakers on Jan. 13 that Washington’s transportation budget faces persistent deficits over the next six years driven by lower fuel‑tax receipts and reduced Climate Commitment Act (CCA) transfers, leaving several accounts — notably the ferries and the State Patrol — structurally short of revenue.

In a staff presentation, Haley Gamble, transportation budget coordinator for the Senate Transportation Committee, said the committee’s total transportation budget is about $14.5 billion for the current biennium and that the gas tax remains the single largest revenue source. Gamble showed that forecasted transportation revenues are roughly $500 million (about 7%) lower for the 2023 biennium compared with the June 2022 forecast and that much of the decline is tied to fuel‑tax receipts.

Why it matters: committee staff told senators the decline in fuel‑tax revenue is partly driven by increased adoption of alternative‑fuel vehicles and changes in driving behavior following the pandemic, and that other revenue streams — including CCA transfers — have not fully filled the gap. With current spending plans, staff projected cumulative shortfalls reaching billions of dollars over a six‑year window unless the Legislature increases revenues, reduces spending, or reschedules projects.

Staff presented the current revenue mix and notable numbers: total transportation spending of roughly $14.5 billion; gas tax revenue of about $3.36 billion (roughly 23% of the budget) over the biennium; federal funds at about 17%; ferry program expenditures of $1.47 billion; local programs at $900 million; and the Washington State Patrol budget at about $670 million. Gamble said the most recent Department of Ecology estimate for Climate Commitment Act proceeds showed roughly $2.2 billion for the current biennium, a figure that staff said is about $500 million lower than what the Legislature had assumed when it last programmed CCA proceeds.

Staff listed several pressure points: the ferry and State Patrol accounts do not generate enough revenue to cover ongoing costs and have relied on transfers from other funds; capital projects are reporting cost increases and scope growth that total roughly $1 billion beyond current budgets; the statewide culvert replacement program has an estimated $5 billion remaining need to complete required work (the governor’s proposed budget added $120 million toward that need); and the Department of Transportation has indicated it would need about $1.5 billion more per year to achieve a state of good repair across modes.

Gamble summarized the tradeoffs lawmakers will face in session: “Increasing revenues, reducing spending, or rescheduling projects” are the primary levers available. She also noted the governor’s 2025‑27 proposal had built in roughly $1 billion in capital reductions to balance the proposed budget for that biennium.

Senator Bill Fortunato asked a specific question about sales tax paid by operating agencies and whether staff had quantified how much of those sales‑tax costs are effectively backfilled to the State Patrol and ferry operations; staff responded that prior calculations had focused on capital sales tax and they would research operating‑side sales‑tax impacts and return with numbers.

The presentation highlighted that particular toll program accounts — including State Route 520, the Gateway program and I‑405 — have seen recent cost increases and some recent projects are returning higher than anticipated bids. Staff also said the ferry fleet will require continued vessel investment, estimating roughly one new vessel per year would be needed to replace and modernize the fleet over time.

The session closed with staff urging members to consider a mix of revenue, spending, and scheduling options as the Legislature begins the 2025 session.

Ending: staff said they would provide additional detail and follow‑up analyses as requested by committee members during the session.","Committee staff told the Senate Transportation Committee on Jan. 13 that declining fuel-tax receipts and lower-than-expected Climate Commitment Act transfers have left the transportation budget facing multi‑biennium deficits, with ferry and State Patrol accounts structurally underfunded and several capital programs needing additional funding.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate Transportation Committee outlines operating rules; Joint Transportation Committee staff summarizes resources

State transportation budget outlook shows multi‑billion shortfall; ferries and State Patrol accounts singled out