Supporting Washington Communities: A Path to Economic Growth and Enhanced Recreational Safety

Washington’s docks serve as more than just a scenic gateway to the water; they are essential to our local economy and recreational activities. These docks facilitate leisurely boating, community events, and critical commercial operations, underscoring the importance of maintaining safe, reliable, and sustainable water access. Pacific Netting Products (PNP) is a leader in dock infrastructure solutions, playing a vital role in enhancing ports and marinas throughout the state. Their innovative products not only enhance safety but also improve functionality for all who enjoy the water.

2025 Legislative Session Preview
Washington State
January 9, 2025

Washington’s 2025 Legislative Session will begin on Monday, January 13, and it will be the first year of the two-year legislative biennium. Each biennium is comprised of a long session (105-days) and a short session (60-days) in which bills may be enacted into law. In addition to new policy ideas, the primary task of legislators during a long session is to pass the state’s biennial budgets: Operating, Capital and Transportation.

Read More

Read More

 

Playing and watching sports is a beloved part of American life. From baseball and soccer to basketball and football, sports weave into our culture in a big way. Here at Pacific Netting Products (PNP) we feel the thrill of watching a baseball connect with the bat, a soccer ball finding the net, or a basketball dunk that ignites the crowd is truly special. In Washington, many of these games, practices, and casual get-togethers take place in our local parks.

 

The 2024 general election was held on Tuesday, November 5 and Washington state voters had numerous decisions to make in electing statewide and local officials for office, as well as decisions on four statewide initiatives that deal with certain taxes, state programs, and energy sources. All nine state executive offices were on the ballot, including open seat races for Governor, Attorney General, Commissioner of Public Lands, and Insurance Commissioner. On the state legislative front, all 98 members of the House were on the ballot and 25 of the 49 senators were up for election. Many key legislative races could shift the political landscape in Olympia, as democrats were looking to pick up seats in battle ground districts, while republicans were hoping to hold seats they currently control. Given the state’s vote by mail system, ballots will continue to be counted for days to come. Although some races are still too close to call, Washingtonians can glean significant results from election night 2024.

Voter turnout for the general election currently sits at 72.23% with an estimate of 274,171 ballots left to be counted at the time of this writing. There are 5,018,809 registered voters statewide. For reference, voter turnout in 2020 was just over 84%, and nearly 79% in 2016 – the last two times the President was on the ballot and when turnout is highest. Election results will be certified by the Secretary of State on Thursday, December 5.

2024 General Election Results

Statewide Races
For the first time since 2012 there were four open seat races for statewide office (meaning an incumbent is not seeking reelection), including an open seat race for Insurance Commissioner that will see changeover for the first time in 24 years.

We Need Your Support!

The Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition (WWRC) is seeking your help to advocate for a $150 million Capital Budget request for the Washington Wildlife & Recreation Program (WWRP) for the 2025-27 biennium. Please join us by signing the Sign-On Letter to support robust funding for this vital program.

So you’ve heard the term “inclusive playground”, but what does that actually mean?

Accessible playgrounds are on the rise around the world but accessible does not necessarily mean inclusive. It is however a part of the design process for making a playground truly inclusive.

This vital legislation makes it possible for special districts in local communities to access essential funding for water, parks, infrastructure, fire, and other vital community services.

The 2024 election in Washington state will be the most significant election year in more than a decade. At the top of the state ballot, we’ll have four open seats for statewide office (meaning an incumbent won’t seek reelection), including an open seat Governor’s race for the first time in 12 years. We will also have open seat races for the Attorney General, Commissioner of Public Lands, and Insurance Commissioner seats. On top of that, several lawmakers are retiring from office (including two congressional retirements), which all contribute to an eventful election season that will result in new political leadership and a drastically different legislature in 2025.
As a refresher, the state contains 49 legislative districts represented by one state Senator and two state Representatives each (49 Senators and 98 Representatives). State Representatives must run for election every two years, while state Senators seek election every four years. The current makeup of the legislature is:

• House: 58 Democrats | 40 Republicans
• Senate: 29 Democrats | 20 Republicans

It’s important to note that Washington state utilizes a top two primary, meaning that the two candidates receiving the most votes will advance through the primary election to the general election, regardless of party preference. It is not uncommon in some legislative districts to have two candidates from the same party running against each other for a seat.

Welcoming New WRPA Board Members

Each year, we welcome new members to the WRPA Board of Directors at the Annual Conference & Tradeshow. The Board of Directors is the governing body of our association and is responsible for the supervision, control, and direction of WRPA. These Board members are elected by you, the members, during an annual election.

The following WRPA members have been elected to join the board:

Applications for Recreation and Conservation Funding Board grants are due on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, by 11:59 p.m. If you have started an application, or are thinking of applying, for a grant for your recreation or conservation project – there’s not much time left.

During this first grant round, the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is accepting grant proposals for the following programs:

We’re back at it with legislative session as the legislature officially convened Monday the 8th for a 60-day session. They’re hitting the ground running with public hearings on relevant bills. As you’ll see highlighted below, HB 2051 has been scheduled for a hearing on January 11 which relates to small off-road engines (like maintenance and landscaping equipment).

See bill language here: https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2023-24/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/2051.pdf?q=20240109122002

A broad coalition of leaders has come together to ask the Legislature to take this long overdue action in 2024 to revise the arbitrary 1% property tax cap that has been in place for more than a generation.

We ask for an update to the cap tying it to inflation and population growth factors with a new cap not to exceed 3%.

Through the Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest, Life Floor and Inside Edge Safety Surfaces are offering two grants this year for two splash pads at cities or non-profit organizations to receive an all-expenses-paid Life Floor safety surface + installation (valued at approximately $50-65k for a 2000 sq ft area). This is our 4th annual event offering grants to communities in need and I would love to extend the invitation to your eligible members to apply for these grants. Applications close on November 17th at 11:59PM CT.

The Grants are as follows:

• The Need-Based Grant will be awarded to a splash pad at a city or non-profit facility with demonstrated financial need. The location of the splash pad must have a median household income below the state median and the Parks + Recreation 5-year average capital projects budget per capita must be below $50.

• The Inclusive Design Grant will be awarded to a splash pad at a city or non-profit facility that has demonstrated a commitment to inclusivity or accessibility.

Learn More

U.S. Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 12/20/2022 09:27 AM EST

We are excited to welcome our new lobbyist, Trevor Justin! Trevor is thrilled to begin legislative representation for the WRPA. With his love for the
outdoors and staying active, working with WRPA is a natural fit for him. He is looking forward to positively impacting parks and recreation agencies statewide so that others can enjoy the outdoors as much as he does.

Trevor is a strategic government affair professional with a proven record of navigating the complex legislative environment with integrity and success. He is a pragmatic thinker with political savvy and helps deliver client objectives through budget and public policy processes.

Good Friday Morning to WRPA Executive Board & Exec. Director; LEG Chair & LEG Committee Members; and full LEG Distribution List: With apologies if you’ve seen any of this – I’m catching up with week from several badly-needed post-2022 Session vacation days, and wanted to ensure you all have a few pieces of information and a link to a survey you may wish to complete. In order:

WA State Recreation & Conservation Plan Survey – RCO is updating this plan and as part and parcel of the update, an Eastern Washington University faculty member (Jeremy Jostad) is conducting a survey where people can indicate their usage of outdoor recreation facilities and spaces over the last 12 months.  In the event you wish to participate, the survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and has 75 questions and you can access it here:

Washington State Recreation and Conservation Plan Survey (surveymonkey.com)

Seeking Public Input!

 

Please help: take the survey, share the survey.

Hello Recreation and Conservation Partner Organization, 

News Release from the Washington State Recreation & Conservation Office

For Release: February 8, 2022