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Puget Sound Leadership Council narrows 2026 legislative priorities, adds resilience and flexibility
Summary
The Leadership Council adopted a revised 2026 legislative priorities package (option 3) and directed staff to add a resilience/backfill focus to respond to recent flood and extreme‑weather events. The vote was unanimous.
The Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council voted Dec. 17 to adopt a revised set of 2026 legislative priorities designed for a short 60‑day session and to give staff flexibility to respond to evolving flood and emergency needs.
Don (staff presenter) framed the choices for the council and outlined the fiscal constraints facing the legislature. He said option 3—strategically revising the 2025 priorities to focus on unfinished business and budget backfills—"is more reflective of the board conversation" among advisory bodies. Several council members urged adding explicit language on resilience and the need to protect dedicated funding such as Climate Commitment Act allocations.
The motion approved by unanimous voice vote asked staff to adopt the option 3 fact sheet but include a directive to add a resilience item tied to recent weather impacts and to preserve flexibility to act on agency budget proposals that could affect Puget Sound recovery. Council members said the change would allow staff to pursue backfill requests and to weigh in if agencies propose to shift or reallocate funds that affect Puget Sound programs.
What happens next: staff will finalize the draft priorities, incorporate the resilience language discussed, and return the edited fact sheet to the council executive committee for finalization before advocacy and legislative engagement during the 2026 session.
