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Lakewood lobbyist reviews 2026 short legislative session; capital wins, other priorities stall
Summary
City contract lobbyist Shelley Helder told the Lakewood City Council the 2026 short session produced three supplemental budgets and several bills of interest: capital awards including $200,000 for H Barn Silos succeeded, while efforts to codify a community partnership program and secure implementation funding for parking standards did not advance.
Shelley Helder, Lakewood’s contract lobbyist in Olympia, told the City Council on April 13 that the 2026 short legislative session produced modest budget adjustments but mixed results for Lakewood priorities.
Helder said the 60-day session produced three supplemental budgets — operating, transportation and capital — and the legislature passed 268 bills. The supplemental operating budget increased spending by about $2.4 billion (partly drawn from the budget stabilization account) while the transportation and capital supplements added roughly $1.2 billion and $889 million, respectively. Helder called out a roughly $123 million increase for the Housing Trust Fund in the capital package.
The pre…
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