Nelson joins Councilmember Lin, Byrd Barr's Tiffany Kelly-Gray, and Joel Ing with Edge Developers to lead newly-formed housing advisory group. 

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - End of Session

Krystelle Purkey and Riley Benge, State Lobbyists

The 2026 legislative session officially adjourned on March 12, wrapping a fast-paced, 60-day sprint that brought major debates on taxes, housing, insurance and long-term budget pressures. It was a meaningful year for our advocacy, and a year of real wins. 

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 9

Krystelle Purkey and Riley Benge, State Lobbyists

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 8

Krystelle Purkey and Riley Benge, State Lobbyists

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 7

Krystelle Purkey and Riley Benge, State Lobbyists

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 6

Krystelle Purkey and Riley Benge, State Lobbyists

Advocacy in Action

with Carter Nelson, Director of Government Affairs

NAIOPWA Board Member Carl Shorett Appointed to Governor’s Housing Task Force

We’re excited to share that Carl Shorett, Senior Director of Development at AvalonBay Communities and a member of the NAIOPWA Board of Directors, has been appointed to the Washington State Task Force on the Establishment of a Department of Housing.This is a meaningful opportunity for our organization and our industry. NAIOPWA has been deeply engaged in statewide housing conversations, and Carl’s appointment ensures that the development community’s practical, on‑the‑ground expertise is represented in one of the most consequential housing policy efforts underway in Washington.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 4

Krystelle Purkey and Riley Benge, State Lobbyists

The first major cutoff of the 2026 legislative session has come and gone. The House of Origin policy cutoff occurred on Wednesday, February 4, marking a key milestone in determining which bills will continue to advance this session.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 2

Krystelle Purkey and Riley Benge, State Lobbyists

Week two of the legislative session was a pivotal one for CREDAWA, marked by strong engagement with lawmakers, candid policy discussions, and a clear focus on the real-world impacts facing commercial and industrial development across Washington.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 1

Krystelle Purkey and Riley Benge, State Lobbyists

The first week of the Washington State legislative session set the tone for a fast-paced 60-day sprint, with sharp contrasts emerging in leadership messages. In his opening remarks, Governor Bob Ferguson emphasized stability and continuity, urging lawmakers to stay focused on protecting core services, addressing affordability, and navigating ongoing fiscal pressures while advancing long-term priorities.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 0

Krystelle Purkey and Riley Benge, State Lobbyists

The Washington State Legislature convened today, Monday, January 12, for the start of the 2026 legislative session, a 60-day “short session” marking the second half of the 2025–27 biennium. All bills that did not pass in the 2025 Legislative Session remain alive and in play. 

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Lookback

Krystelle Purkey and Ehren Flygare, State Lobbyists

The 2025 Washington State legislative session was one of the most tumultuous and emotionally charged sessions in recent memory, marked by significant political tension, major fiscal challenges, and the deaths of two beloved legislators. From the opening days, the atmosphere was fraught with division. Deep ideological splits over how to address the state’s financial crisis created a highly charged environment where lawmakers frequently clashed not only along party lines but also within their own caucuses.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 15

Krystelle Purkey and Ehren Flygare, State Lobbyists

With just two days left of the 2025 regular legislative session, there is speculation that we may be headed into a special session if lawmakers are unable to agree on a budget by sine die.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 14

Krystelle Purkey and Ehren Flygare, State Lobbyists

The Opposite House floor cutoff on Wednesday came and went quietly, leaving many policy bills dead on the calendar—a disappointing outcome for advocates who had hoped for progress on their legislation and a win for legislators and lobbyists wishing for the demise of certain proposed policies. Despite the looming deadline, neither the House nor the Senate designated a “5 p.m. bill,” and both chambers adjourned their sessions promptly at or before 5 p.m. Meanwhile, members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee quickly transitioned to a 5:30 p.m. scheduled hearing focused on new revenue proposals, underscoring the ongoing discussions about the state's fiscal strategy even as a major legislative deadline passed.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 13

Krystelle Purkey and Ehren Flygare, State Lobbyists

With the passing of the Tuesday, April 8 deadline for bills to be voted out of fiscal committees, the legislative process now enters its next phase. Both the House and Senate will shift their focus to floor debates, caucus, and conference committee negotiations as they work through the last two weeks of the 2025 regular legislative session. The next deadline of consequence is the Opposite Floor Cutoff on April 16 by which bills must be voted out of the opposite chamber.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 12

Krystelle Purkey and Ehren Flygare, State Lobbyists

As the iconic campus cherry blossoms bloom and the deadline for bills to be voted out of fiscal committees approaches on Tuesday, April 8, the Washington State Legislature is entering the final stretch of the 2025 regular session. This marks a crucial phase in the legislative process, where lawmakers race against time to advance their proposals before critical cutoff dates.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 10

Krystelle Purkey and Ehren Flygare, State Lobbyists

This week, regular legislative activity primarily revolved around policy committee hearings, where lawmakers reviewed and debated bills that had recently advanced from the opposite chamber.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 9

Krystelle Purkey and Ehren Flygare, State Lobbyists

Wednesday, March 12, marked the critical deadline for bills to advance out of their chambers of origin. With this milestone passed, legislative focus now shifts to the next phase: bills making their way across the rotunda to be considered by policy committees in the opposite chamber. 

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 8

Krystelle Purkey and Ehren Flygare, State Lobbyists

The Washington State Legislature has reached the midpoint of its 2025 session, with members working long hours on the floor and in caucus as they approach the March 12 deadline for bills to pass out of their chambers of origin. As of this week, 1051 House Bills have been introduced, and 519 have made it to the Rules Committee for further consideration. Over in the Senate, 805 bills have been introduced, with 271 entering the Senate Rules process. Bills that do not clear this stage of Rules committee pulls and floor action — unless deemed "necessary to implement the budget" (NTIB) — are generally considered dead for the session. However, it’s worth noting that no bill is entirely off the table until the biennium ends.

NAIOPWA Legislative Session Report - Week 7

Krystelle Purkey and Ehren Flygare, State Lobbyists

The most significant development of the week besides fiscal committee actions prior to the February 28 Fiscal Committee cutoff was Governor Bob Ferguson’s news conference, where he outlined approximately $4 billion in additional budget cuts for the legislature to consider. These cuts, on top of those in Governor Inslee’s proposed budget, could cover nearly half of the state’s projected shortfall.