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City lobbyist briefs Issaquah council on 2026 session: budgets, SR-18 funding preserved, housing mandates adopted
Summary
Issaquah's contract lobbyist reviewed the 2026 short legislative session, noting supplemental operating ($2.4B), transportation ($1.2B) and capital ($889M) budgets; highlighted that SR-18 first-phase funding was retained, flagged SB 6346's possible local revenue impacts, and summarized housing- and public-safety-related bills of interest to the city.
Shelly Helder, the City of Issaquah's contract lobbyist in Olympia, briefed council on outcomes from the 2026 legislative session and how several measures affect the city.
Helder said the short (60-day) session delivered three supplemental budgets: roughly $2.4 billion to the operating budget (including about $880 million from the Budget Stabilization Account), approximately $1.2 billion in the supplemental transportation budget focused on maintenance, and about $889 million in supplemental capital funds, which included an additional $123 million for the Housing Trust Fund. She said the state retained most shared revenues for cities despite some reductions (for example, roughly $5 million…
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