"Ports 101" Presentations to Legislators

Due to an extraordinary number of retirements and incumbents seeking other offices, there are more than twenty new legislators in Olympia for the 2025 Legislative Session. With an eye toward getting those new members up to speed, the week prior to the beginning of the session, WPPA staff invited all new and returning members of the legislature to attend a series of “Port 101” presentations. These informational webinars were designed to help the legislators understand the history of public ports, how their powers have evolved over the last hundred years, and how ports today are laser-focused on serving their communities and promoting economic development opportunities. We had a modest turnout of both new and returning legislators and are appreciative of the WPPA members who attended these meetings to help provide additional context to the presentation.

While we do wish more legislators could’ve attended – and will probably adjust the series next year to drive higher turnout - the conversations we did have will be invaluable as we partner with this group of legislators. We left the series optimistic that we have laid the groundwork to have a few new port champions in the legislature. Our Port’s 101 presentation is linked here. We welcome your feedback and engagement as we look ahead to revamping our format and making this an annual or biannual tradition for incoming legislators.