Legislative Agenda
Before the start of the legislative session, the mayor, city council members, city staff, residents, and state legislators work together to determine the city's priorities for the session.
Legislative Session Review
Before the start of the legislative session, the mayor, city council members, city staff, residents, and state legislators work together to determine the city's priorities for the session. During the November 25 Renton City Council meeting, the city's Government Affairs Manager and lobbyist presented the 2025 Legislative Review to Mayor Armondo Pavone and councilmembers.
The 2025 Legislative Session begins Monday, January 13. At the end of the Legislative Session on April 27, 2025, Eric Perry, City of Renton Government Affairs Manager, and David Foster, the City of Renton lobbyist, will update the Mayor, City Council, and community on the 2025 Legislative Session during a regularly scheduled city council meeting.
2025 Key Priorities:
Behavioral Health
- Support more grants and expanded training opportunities and resources to establish and support local behavioral health co- responder programs for alternative responses for people in crisis like FD Cares or Project Be Free.
Human Services
- Increase the Washington State Office of Refugee and
Immigrant Assistance. This will help support statewide efforts to provide the basic needs for refugees and asylum seekers.
Transportation and Regional Connectivity
- Asking that funded WSDOT projects that impact Renton
aren’t delayed because of budget shortfalls on other I-405 projects. We support advancing the Renton to Bellevue I-405 “Move Ahead Washington” Phase 3 projects.
Public Safety
- Support “upstream” investments, early intervention, and community-based programs as a way to support at-risk youth and positively impact accountability within the juvenile justice
system.
For continued updates and opportunities to engage in the process, visit the legislative agenda Your Voice Renton page.
Access the full 2025 Legislative Agenda PDF here.(PDF, 2MB)
2024
The 2024 Legislative Session begins Monday, January 8. At the end of the Legislative Session on March 7, 2024, David Foster, the City of Renton's lobbyist, will update the Mayor, City Council, and community on the 2024 Legislative Session during a regularly scheduled city council meeting.
Renton City Council Meeting - December 11, 2023 - 2024 Legislative Recap
2024 Key Priorities
Transportation Infrastructure
- Active Involvement in Ensuring 2022 “Move Ahead Washington” funding for active transportation and transit projects in and near Renton can be deployed as early as possible.
- Request that Funding already committed by Legislature to WSDOT projects benefiting Renton community are not reallocated due to funding shortfalls on other 405 related Projects.
- Request Funding for Infrastructure to address traffic speeding in our communities.
Racial Justice & Equity – Seeking Outside Funding & Tools
- Renton will continue to strongly support legislative initiatives and funding proposals that can assist the City’s programs in advancing racial justice and equity and to deploy additional resources for affordable housing and human needs. The City will be poised to support legislative initiatives to enable the establishment of “Housing Benefit Districts,” to enhance funding through the Housing Trust Fund, and to amend state statutes to better allow surplus property to be provided to those financing affordable homeownership projects.
Issues to Monitor
- Budget and Fiscal
- Criminal Justice/Public Safety/Fire/Courts/Behavioral Health
- Economic Development/Infrastructure/Affordable Housing/Homelessness
- Land-Use/GMA
- Environmental Sustainability
- Local Government in General
- Transportation
- Water-Wastewater-Stormwater-Utilities
Full 2024 Legislative Agenda(PDF, 2MB)
2023
At the end of the legislative session, David Foster, the City of Renton's lobbyist, updated the Mayor, City Council, and community on the 2023 Legislative Session during the regularly scheduled city council meeting on Monday, June 5, 2023.
Key Priorities
Quality of Life
- Capital Budget Request of $2 million for Pavilion Building Public Square
- Repurposing of Prior-Year $206,000 allocation for assisting those in need
- Support request being made by the Doug Baldwin Foundation for Family First Community Center
- Support possible 988 Crisis Response System Capital Request
Public Safety
- Fix for 2021 Blake legislation (ESB 5476)
- Funding for Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) and other public safety/criminal justice investments
- 988 crisis response system legislation and funding
Transportation Infrastructure
- $2 million request for a solution at Interstate 405/State Route 167 junction for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
- Ensuring earliest possible construction of 2022 Move Ahead Washington transportation and transit projects in and near Renton
Racial Justice & Equity—seeking outside funding & tools
- Continue to seek outside funding and tools to assist equity, housing and human services