STATE NEWS State Building Code Council Releases 2021 Commercial Energy Code The 2021 commercial energy code amendments have been released by the State Building Code Council; you can view the proposed rule here. Public comments can be emailed to sbcc@des.wa.gov through March 11. The SBCC will also have public hearings on the amendments on Feb. […]
Advocacy Update – December 2021 Thursday, December 16, 2021 in Advocacy, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Advocacy Update – December 2021STATE NEWS Washington’s Redistricting Process Ends Washington’s redistricting saga has ended, with the state Supreme Court declining to develop its own district maps and allowing the maps approved after the deadline by the state’s redistricting commission to take effect. You may view the final Congressional and state legislative district maps here. While redistricting bodies generally […]
Advocacy Update – November 2021 Thursday, November 18, 2021 in Advocacy, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Advocacy Update – November 2021STATE NEWS Washington Redistricting Washington’s redistricting commission, charged with determining new state and Congressional legislative districts after the 2020 census, failed to meet its Nov. 15 deadline to agree on new district maps. The failure of the panel, made up of two Republicans and two Democrats, means the state’s election maps for the next decade […]
Advocacy Update – October 2021 Thursday, October 21, 2021 in Advocacy, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Advocacy Update – October 2021STATE NEWS Washington’s Tax System Overhaul Committee Would Like Your Feedback Are you fed up with Washington’s tax system? This is your opportunity to let legislators know what you’d like to see instead. The state’s Tax Structure Work Group, led by a bipartisan group of state legislators, is conducting outreach to the public for feedback […]
Advocacy Update – September 2021 Thursday, September 23, 2021 in Advocacy, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Advocacy Update – September 2021STATE NEWS Washington’s Tax System Overhaul Under Discussion Washington has a multi-year Tax Structure Work Group led by a bipartisan group of legislators and charged with researching, evaluating, and conducting public outreach around developing a new state taxation system that is not the most regressive in the nation. (Legislation is not expected to be considered […]
Seattle’s City Council Takes a New Look at Policy for Affordable Housing on Property Owned by Religious Organizations Monday, September 20, 2021 in Advocacy Comments Off on Seattle’s City Council Takes a New Look at Policy for Affordable Housing on Property Owned by Religious OrganizationsBackground Earlier this year, in compliance with state legislation (HB 1377) passed in 2019, the Seattle City Council passed and Mayor Jenny Durkan signed legislation to allow religious institutions to access additional development capacity when they redevelop their property for long-term rent- and income-restricted affordable housing. The state law requires such projects to target households […]
Housing Advocacy: Neighborhood Residential Saturday, September 18, 2021 in Advocacy, Housing, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Housing Advocacy: Neighborhood ResidentialLegislation to rename Seattle’s single family zoning category from “Single Family” to “Neighborhood Residential” will be voted on at a Sept. 24th Land Use & Neighborhoods City Council Committee meeting. This legislation does not make actual changes to the existing zoning (any changes will be part of the Comp Plan Update), but it will set […]
Advocacy Update – August 2021 Thursday, August 19, 2021 in Advocacy, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Advocacy Update – August 2021LOCAL NEWS 2020 MHA Report Released Seattle’s Office of Housing released its first annual report on the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability and Incentive Zoning program, including long-anticipated data on housing projects’ use of payment versus performance under the program. While any adjustments to the MHA pricing will likely occur only as part of the city’s […]
Advocacy Update – July 2021 Thursday, July 15, 2021 in Advocacy, Housing, Public Policy Board Comments Off on Advocacy Update – July 2021NATIONAL NEWS California Gas Ban Lawsuit Dismissed A federal court in San Francisco dismissed a preemption challenge to the ban on gas hookups in new construction in Berkeley, California. California has more than 40 cities that have implemented gas bans or other restrictions, and this outcome will inform further efforts there and in other states. […]
Advocacy Update – May 2021 Thursday, May 20, 2021 in Advocacy Comments Off on Advocacy Update – May 2021STATE NEWS State Legislative Session Adjourns Washington’s Legislature adjourned on April 25, ending a historic, nearly all-virtual session in which Democratic leadership focused on four key areas: COVID relief, economic recovery, racial equity, and climate change. Gov. Inslee is still signing bills into law. You can read AIA Washington Council’s final legislative report here. If […]
