State lobbyist summarizes 2025 legislative session outcomes for Airway Heights

Emily Shea, the city's state lobbyist, told the Airway Heights City Council on May 5 that the 2025 Washington legislative session produced final operating, capital and transportation budgets and that her office will follow up with a written end-of-session report. "My name is Emily Shea, state lobbyist for the city and really serving as your eyes, ears, and voice in Olympia this year," she said at the start of her presentation.

Shea said the legislature faced a roughly $15 billion operating shortfall entering session and ultimately passed three budgets after 105 consecutive days in Olympia. She told the council the final budget included $906,000 for the city's Public Safety Campus request — an amount the city submitted after initially considering $1.5 million and later adjusting to $880,000 — and that the state preserved prior allocations for several regional transportation projects. "Ultimately, the final budget included 906,000 for the Public Safety Campus," Shea said.

The presentation reviewed the three budgets and how they were funded, described funding left in reserves and referenced new revenues used to close gaps, and noted legislative attention to land-use timing and property-tax cap proposals. Shea also highlighted funding for PFAS monitoring and for a program to reconnect communities divided by state highways; she said the city will receive a written summary with bill-level details and budget breakdowns later this week. The lobbyist offered to assist the council with outreach to legislators and to provide monthly interim updates during the interim.