Kennewick City Council heard a presentation Oct. 28 on a draft 2026 state legislative agenda that emphasizes a narrow set of city priorities for the short, 60-day session beginning Jan. 12 and ending March 12, 2026.

Brianna Murray, a state lobbyist and partner with Gordon Thomas Honeywell Government Relations, told the council the 2026 session is the second year of Washington’s biennial cycle and will be compact. "It is a short 60-day legislative session that will begin on January 12 and is scheduled to end on March 12," Murray said, and she urged the council to keep requests focused given limited legislative bandwidth and a constrained state budget.

Murray highlighted a projected state revenue shortfall—roughly $450 million lower than forecast for the current biennium and a longer-term shortfall the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council estimated near $900 million—that will constrain operating-budget funding and make new requests more competitive. She said the capital budget is relatively more stable, with approximately $326 million in bond capacity and typical local project appropriations averaging around $200,000.

Nut graf: Against the backdrop of a compact session and statewide budget pressure, Murray recommended Kennewick concentrate on a few city-centered requests and align them with the capital budget where funding is likeliest. The draft agenda before council lists three immediate appropriation requests and several longer-term projects the city will continue to socialize with legislators.

The three immediate project requests in the draft agenda are:
- $90,000 for asbestos abatement at the Activity Center second floor to reopen programming spaces; Murray described this as a smaller, competitive request.
- $300,000 toward replacement of the Toyota Center HVAC (the full system cost is $600,000; the city would request half to show local match).
- $300,000 in the transportation budget to study at‑grade rail solutions for Downtown Kennewick.

Murray noted the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) legislative priorities and how they overlap with municipal concerns: AWC asks the Legislature to fund public defense to meet newly issued caseload standards for public defenders, increase funding for street maintenance and sidewalks, continue investment in housing supply while avoiding new local mandates, and preserve state-shared revenues (such as liquor and municipal criminal justice accounts) during budget shortfalls.

Council members offered broad support and no substantive amendments during the workshop. Mayor Crawford said the draft "hit the highlights" and staff signaled a goal to finalize the agenda in November so council can brief the local legislative delegation on Dec. 9.

Ending: Staff will circulate the final draft for council approval in early November and prepare briefing materials for the Dec. 9 meeting with the delegation. No formal council action was taken at the Oct. 28 workshop on the legislative agenda.