Final 2025 0715 Council Workshop Legislative ProcessMoses Lake City Council
Dustin Swartz, Mayor | Judy Madewell, Deputy Mayor | Don Myers, Council Member | Mark Fancher, Council Member
Deanna Martinez, Council Member | David Skaug, Council Member | Victor Lombardi, Council Member
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Moses Lake Civic Center – 401 S. Balsam
Study Session
Call to Order – 4:00 p.m.
#1 State Legislative Process Workshop pg 2
Presented by Briahna Murray, GTH Government Relations
Adjournment
Next Regular Meeting July 22, 2025.
NOTICE: Individuals planning to attend the in-person meeting who require an interpreter or special
assistance to accommodate physical, hearing, or other impairments, need to contact the City Clerk at (509)
764-3703 or Deputy City Clerk at (509) 764-3713 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
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CITY OF
MOSES LAKE
GORDON THOMAS HONEYWELL
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
GTH-GOV
JULY 15, 2025
GOAL OF PRESENTATION
Review the Purpose of a City Legislative Program
Legislative Agenda Development
Effective Advocacy as a Team
Next Steps
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PURPOSE OF A LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Funding Defense Offense
OFF TO A GOOD START…
Funding:
$810,000 for Well 29
$172,000 for Well 17
Average appropriations was $604,000 for individual community projects
Defense:
Modest engagement: removed from the parking mandate bill
Budget cuts to state-shared revenues could have been much worse
Offense:
Challenging to advance, this is where we can lean in
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OFF TO A GOOD START…
Funding:This is nice, but how do we get more?
$810,000 for Well 29
$172,000 for Well 17
Average appropriations was $604,000 for individual community projects
Defense:While good, we could do more… or not…
Modest engagement: removed from the parking mandate bill
Budget cuts to state-shared revenues could have been much worse
Offense:More of this!
Challenging to advance, this is where we can lean in
FUNDING
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FUNDING - BACKGROUND
Three state budgets: Operating, Capital, and Transportation
State Fiscal Year: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2027; 2026 is a Supplemental Budget Year
Budget Development Process:
OFM Requests Feedback from Agencies (deadline September 15, 2025)
Critical and emergent costs…. Efficiencies, reforms, administrative savings
Governor releases his proposed budget in December
Legislators deliberate, each chamber releases a proposal, and usually submit a final budget to the Governor
Governor can veto sections, but not line items
FUNDING - BACKGROUND
Operating:
Programmatic funding; must be spent within the fiscal year and must be administered by a state agency
Capital:
Local and Community Projects (i.e. project earmarks)
Approx $1 million, last dollar in, utilized state grant programs first, compelling project. longer time to spend funds
Funding requests from other stakeholders in the 13th Legislative District can impact
Projects of Regional/Statewide Significance
State agency engagement, coalition building
Transportation:
Nexus to state transportation system
Focus on existing projects
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FUNDING: RIGHT-SIZE REQUEST FOR BUDGET REALITIES
2026 Supplemental year: Either request a small amount OR prepare for 2027
Operating (programmatic): Extremely limited funding in 2026; maybe more funding in 2027. Historically a
challenging budget to receive city-specific funding within.
Capital: Request under $500,000 for 2026 OR highly recommend developing large request for 2027
Transportation:
Nexus to state system
Struggling to fund current commitments
$23.903 million allocated to Port of Moses Lake ($8.479 million 23-25; $8.557 million in 25-27)
Recommend signaling long term need and/or focusing on preservation/maintenance
Increasingly need to have broad coalition support
5-MINUTE
DISCUSSION
Given parameters, what projects
immediately come to mind?
Preference between requesting a small
amount in 2026, or a large request for
2027?
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FUNDING: WHAT DO NEXT STEPS LOOK LIKE?
Based on feedback, city staff recommend requests for inclusion on the legislative agenda for your consideration
If it is a smaller request… similar to last session, but hopefully earlier!
If it is a larger request:
Framing of request, begin building coalition
Request support/buy-in from 13th LD Legislators
Outreach to relevant committee chairs/ranking members
Engage Governor’s Office outreach staff
Engage relevant state agencies
Coalition-wide request to the Governor in the Fall… remember the September 15th deadline?
Lobby the State Legislature
LEGISLATION
DEFENSE & OFFENSE
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A member of the Senate introduces a Senate Bill
Senate Policy Committee Senate Fiscal Committee Senate Rules Committee
Vote of the Full Senate Chamber House Policy Committee House Fiscal Committee House Rules Committee
Vote of the Full House Chamber
Delivered to the Governor to be signed into law
POLICY MAKING: BACKGROUND
DEFENSE
Activity Focused on Session:
Monitoring legislative proposals
Reviewing legislative proposals
Providing feedback
Via lobbyist, sometimes testimony or phone calls to legislators
Even if majority party disagrees, local legislators find great value in the feedback
May lose the war, but win the battle (via amendments)
How to Prepare?
Develop policy statements on what you stand for...
Refine internal legislation review processes
Option to lean heavily on AWC in this space
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PARTNERSHIP WITH AWC
Strength in numbers
Positions may not align perfectly
Assistance on issues impacting all cities
Participation is helpful to their efforts
Currently developing their legislative agenda
5-MINUTE
DISCUSSION
What are some items that the Legislature
has approved that negatively impacted the
City?
Are there some principles or areas of
emphasis important to the City? (e.g. local
control, unfunded mandates, or public
safety, employment liability)
How much do you want to lean on AWC?
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OFFENSE – INTRODUCING A BILL
Offensive policy proposals can…
Be just for messaging, or
An effort at true change
General Principles
Aligned with the political environment
Defined problem statement
Be specific in what you request, but flexible in what you can live with
Expect it to take more than one session
Start early – like now!
Be prepared to allocate significant time
Easier with partners
5-MINUTE
DISCUSSION
Are there any specific proactive changes
to state law that you would want to
recommend?
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LEGISLATIVE AGENDA DEVELOPMENT
Focused
• Top priorities: Funding & Proactive Bills
• Policy Statements
Politically Relevant
Two-Year + Outlook
Connected to City Services/Issues
ROLE OF THE COUNCILMEMBER
ESTABLISHING THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
TEAM EFFORT GETS THE BEST RESULTS
Coordination is essential
Relationships with legislators
Remote testimony options
Trips to Olympia
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NEXT STEP
Research Assess Political Viability
Stakeholder Outreach Engage AWC
Identify potential topics for the 2026 legislative agenda to allow city staff and lobbyists to:
NEXT STEP
Once we have an idea of what we are asking for…
Tours with our local legislators
Prepare supporting materials
Engage stakeholders, agencies, legislators as appropriate
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DISCUSSION AND
QUESTIONS?
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