Mina Hashemi, director of the Seattle Office of Intergovernmental Relations, presented the city’s proposed two‑page state legislative agenda on Dec. 1 and urged council members to use OIR as the city’s “boots on the ground” in Olympia during the 60‑day 2026 session. The briefing outlined priorities across federal response, affordability, housing and homelessness, public safety, capital investments and transportation while warning of tight timing in a short session.

The nut graf: OIR and its state relations staff said they built the agenda by collecting departmental and council priorities over months and have been coordinating with the Association of Washington Cities and contract lobbyists. Anna Johnson, a state relations staffer, said the agenda was intentionally concise to preserve flexibility during a rapid session and to make it easier to stack the city’s top priorities for passage.

OIR highlighted several concrete requests it plans to press in Olympia. Under “federal response,” the agenda asks the state to restrict federal or out‑of‑state law‑enforcement officers from wearing face coverings while operating in Seattle and to add protections for immigrant workers, including notice of interactions with immigration officials and job/wage stability for detained workers. On public safety, OIR included language to address the Washington State Patrol toxicology lab backlog and “allow for federally accredited labs to conduct testing of blood samples in presumed DUI cases,” a change council members said would help avoid dismissed DUI prosecutions. The presentation also lists funding priorities for shelter capacity and maintenance of affordable housing, capital asks such as funding for Redbarn Ranch and a decarbonization demonstration at Seattle Center, and requests to support transit authorities in delivering voter‑approved light‑rail extensions.

Council members used the Q&A to press the OIR team on process and details. Council Central staff Karina Bull told members the resolution to adopt the agenda will be introduced at next week’s Dec. 9 council meeting and that offices seeking amendments should submit language by tomorrow at noon for law‑department review. “If council members are interested in proposing amendments, then I’m asking for the language and the placement by tomorrow at noon,” Bull said.

Several council members asked about revenue language and how specific the agenda should be during a short session. One member asked whether the agenda’s “support revenue options that help safeguard access to essential services” anticipates property‑tax measures such as a Lid Lift; OIR staff said the paper intentionally kept revenue language broad because the final budget-writing negotiations can continue until the end of session and viability of specific tax proposals is uncertain. OIR added the Luddy Lid Lift could reappear, but its viability is hard to predict.

Council member Lynn said she intends to propose an amendment to add support for updating the state’s endangerment‑by‑controlled‑substance statute to include fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, citing recent reporting on a rise in child deaths tied to fentanyl overdoses. Lynn said prosecutors and the city attorney had previously signaled support for such an update and asked it be added to the agenda for the council’s consideration.

Other exchanges focused on coordination with the Association of Washington Cities (AWC). Council members asked whether Seattle’s priorities align with AWC’s agenda; OIR staff said they maintain regular contact with AWC and have worked to avoid direct conflicts while tracking some Seattle‑specific priorities that may not appear in a statewide package.

OIR described how it manages incoming bills during session: bills that could affect the city are routed to subject‑matter experts in departments for first reads, OIR monitors amendments and works regularly with the mayor’s office and council offices, and the team may monitor bills (rather than taking a formal position) when internal disagreement exists. OIR also said staff and contract lobbyists are already engaging legislators during committee days and that the team will provide regular briefings, hearing trackers and opportunities for councilmember testimony.

Why it matters: The two‑page agenda is the city’s public policy signal to Olympia for a fast 60‑day session. In addition to legislative priorities, the briefing surfaced operational questions for council offices about amendment deadlines and the council’s ability to respond quickly to emerging bills. OIR also flagged a recent state revenue forecast showing roughly a $7,000,000,000 shortfall across the next four years, a factor that council members noted will complicate state budget negotiations.

Looking ahead: OIR said the resolution and agenda exhibit will be before the council next week with an option to vote under suspension of rules; council members who want to add or amend agenda language were told to submit suggested language in the timeframe Karina Bull specified so the law department can review it. OIR and council staff said they will brief the incoming mayor‑elect and remain nimble in session.