Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout031326 - GOOD NEWS FOR COUNTIES! 2026 End of Legislative Session RecapALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/p74fgzc> END OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION RECAP Gavels banged down on March 12th, marking the end of the 2026 supplemental legislative session. The 60 day session saw hundreds of bills introduced, committee work sessions, long hours of debate (including a history-making <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/5z5fgzc> 24+ hour debate on the millionaires income tax), some political jostling, and a good deal of bipartisanship. In the transportation world, the final transportation budget <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/ls6fgzc> appropriates $16.6 billion, a $1.2 billion increase over the enacted 2025 budget. The majority of the increase in funding is driven towards Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance and preservation, reappropriations, and increases in maintenance costs. So, how did the agency's legislative priorities fare? Design Dollars for Local Roads Albeit small, the Local Road Program benefited from the budget increase. Specifically, the Legislature provides an additional $1.26 million to our new local road program <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdc ztn/18hk51mb/1k7fgzc> , allowing us to reimburse design costs to counties in the 2025-2027 biennium. Additional details will be published on our website and shared out to our county partners as they become available. A support hour is available on March 24th <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/hd8fgzc> to answer questions for those working on applications. Funds for Bridge Rating Deadline CRAB also receives $2.5 million in new funding for our one-time bridge load rating grant program. In 2024, we shared about a major update that the tens of millions of federal dollars Washington State receives from FHWA for bridge rehabilitation and replacement were at risk and we had volunteered to be a part of the solution <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/x58fgzc> . This load rating program will benefit small cities and counties as they work to meet new Federal Highway Administration load rating requirements. We will be reaching out to our county partners one-on-one with details. Resources for Flooding Damages Finally, CRAB will receive $30 million to assist counties impacted by the flood and storm event in December 2025. Over half of Washington’s 39 counties sustained damage during the history making event <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/dy9fgzc> , many counties seeing millions in infrastructure damage to roads and bridges. This new money will allow us to offer loans to those counties most impacted by the December event. We will update stakeholders in the coming weeks with more information as it becomes available! Overall, it was a very positive session for the County Road Administration Board. As we work to advance the success and accountability of Washington’s county road departments, we rely on the support of our Legislative branch to carry out this mission. We would like to extend our gratitude to our Legislature, counties, legislative and executive staff, and all of our partners who work tirelessly to affect positive change for Washington counties. We are looking forward to putting Washington tax dollars to work in 2026! <mailto:jane.wall@crab.wa.gov> Jane Wall Executive Director SUBSCRIBE <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/tqaggzc> Click above to receive the newsletters you want and manage your subscription preferences or connect with us on social media: <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/pbcggzc> <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/53cggzc> © 2023 County Road Administration Board. All Rights Reserved. Manage <https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/1978786/1959379/819142099/106170683859/?s=83zIC4R86WF3CgYYF7IE5r8vvzXcujMtGR0V7rk56lw> your preferences | Opt Out <https://t.e2ma.net/optout/hdcztn/ 18hk51mb?s=-1ZTDSlp5V3A9tZk2_nCRFBlRfpzOMONmL0gJEbNB-w> using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? Sign up <https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/1978786/1959379.819142099/> to receive our future emails. View this email online <https://t.e2ma.net/message/hdcztn/18hk51mb> . 2404 Chandler Ct SW Ste 240 | Olympia, WA 98502 US This email was sent to gbrotherton@co.jefferson.wa.us. To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book. <https://t.e2ma.net/click/hdcztn/18hk51mb/lwdggzc> <https://t.e2ma.net/track/hdcztn/18hk51mb> 1QyDuM18/IgAAjEIkxxb/PSYAAIxCKMcW/z3uAQAAgD80AACAPzYlSRI9OAAAkEE6SZIkPzwAAJBBPkmSJD9AAAAQQUJJkqQ+RAAAEEFGSZKkPioAADBBLAAAMEEuAADgQDAAAOBASAAAMEFKAAAwQUwAAOBATgAA4EAADHMAbwBjAGkAYQBsACAAbQBlAGQAaQBhAM cK0/Ubwc0UEAcdsCIAAIA/MgAA4EECAAAAQBIAAIA/FmU5aTsUAIAMRBoAgPhDHDdkYj8eAID4QyA3ZGI/IgAAfEIkgJTlPSYAAHxCKICU5T3uAQAAgD80AACAPzYlSRI9OAAAkEE6SZIkPzwAAJBBPkmSJD9AAAAQQUJJkqQ+RAAAEEFGSZKkPioAAJBBLAAAkEFIA ACQQUoAAJBBABBsAGkAbgBrAGUAZABpAG4AIAB5AG8AdQB0AHUAYgBlAMcKgULuwM0UEAcZsCIAAIA/MgAA4EECAAAAQBIAAIA/FmU5aTsUAIAMRBgAAIA/GgCA+UMccE1jPx4AgPlDIHBNYz8iAAB0QiS0St49JgAAdEIotErePTQAAIA/NiVJEj04AACYQTrbti0/ PAAAmEE+27YtP0AAAABBQiVJkj5EAAAAQUYlSZI+AA9yAGkAZwBoAHQAcwAgAHIAZQBzAGUAcgB2AGUAZADHCtTFy8DNFBAHH7AiAACAPzIAAOBBAgAAAEASAACAPxZlOWk7FACADEQYAACAPxoAgP1DHFbyZj8eAID9QyBW8mY/IgAAVEIkiCPBPSYAAFRCKIgjwT3 sAQAAgD/uAQAAgD80AACAPzYlSRI9OAAAoEE6bts2PzwAAKBBPm7bNj9AAADgQEIAAIA+RAAA4EBGAACAPioAAMBALAAAwEBIAACAP0oAAIA/AAZtAGEAbgBhAGcAZQDHChFqUsDNFBAHHbAiAACAPzIAAOBBAgAAgD8SAACAPxZlOek6FACADEQYAACAPxoAgP5DHI /bZz8eAID+QyCP22c/IgAAUEIkon69PSYAAFBCKKJ+vT00AACAPzYlSRI9OAAAqEE6AABAPzwAAKhBPgAAQD9AAADAQEK3bVs+RAAAwEBGt21bPi4AAMBAMAAAwEBMAADAQE4AAMBAAAtwAHIAZQBmAGUAcgBlAG4AYwBlAHMAxwqWs47AzRQQByGwIgAAgD8yAADgQ QIAAIA/EgAAgD8WZTnpOhQAgAxEGgCA/0McyMRoPx4AgP9DIMjEaD8iAABIQiTXNLY9JgAASEIo1zS2Pe4BAACAPzQAAIA/NiVJEj04AACoQToAAEA/PAAAqEE+AABAP0AAAMBAQrdtWz5EAADAQEa3bVs+KgAAAEAsAAAAQC4AAIBAMAAAgEBIAAAAQEoAAABATAAA gEBOAACAQAAEcwBpAGcAbgDHCoJoT8DNFBAHH7AiAACAPzIAAOBBAgAAgD8SAACAPxZlOek6FACADEQYAACAPxoAQAJEHOdSbT8eAEACRCDnUm0/IgAAIEIk38ORPSYAACBCKN/DkT00AACAPzYlSRI9OAAAsEE6kiRJPzwAALBBPpIkST9AAACgQEJu2zY+RAAAoEB Gbts2PioAAKBALAAAoEAuAADAQDAAAMBATAAAwEBOAADAQAANZgB1AHQAdQByAGUAIABlAG0AYQBpAGwAcwDHCnzbHMHNFBAHHbAiAACAPzIAAOBBAgAAAEASAACAPxZlOWk7FACADEQaAIADRBz3mW8/HgCAA0Qg95lvPyIAAAhCJPvMdz0mAAAIQij7zHc97gEAAI A/NAAAgD82JUkSPTgAALBBOpIkST88AACwQT6SJEk/QAAAoEBCbts2PkQAAKBARm7bNj4qAAAgQSwAACBBSAAAoEBKAACgQAAMZQBtAGEAaQBsACAAbwBuAGwAaQBuAGUAxwp4EBnBzRQQBx2wIgAAgD8yAADgQQIAAABAEgAAgD8WZTlpOxQAgAxEGgCABEQcamxxP x4AgAREIGpscT8iAADwQSTPpVo9JgAA8EEoz6VaPe4BAACAPzQAAIA/NiVJEj04AAC4QTolSVI/PAAAuEE+JUlSP0AAAIBAQiVJEj5EAACAQEYlSRI+KgAAAEAsAAAAQEgAAABASgAAAEAADGEAZABkAHIAZQBzAHMAIABiAG8AbwBrAMcK/xscwc0UEAcdsCIAAIA/ MgAA4EECAAAAQBIAAIA/FmU5aTsUAIAMRBoAQAtEHPG4fT8eAEALRCDxuH0/IgAAQEAkDOuuOyYAAEBAKAzrrjvuAQAAgD80AACAPzYlSRI9OAAA0EE627ZtPzwAANBBPtu2bT9AAACAP0IlSRI9RAAAgD9GJUkSPSoAABBBLAAAEEFIAAAQQUoAABBBAAA=", "@type": "KeyPhraseExtraction", "@context": "http://schema.microsoft.com", "@EntityId": "eed82d92-178a-44a2-b47e-3ffe9ad7a379", "@extractionTimeUtc": "2026-03-13T16:42:28.6485854Z" } ]