The latest & greatest on all things Bellevue, Eastside, and Chamber-member-related.
1. Live from Olympia: Week 2 of the Legislative Session There's six weeks left in the legislative session, but who's counting? Our Olympia lobbyist, Lyset Cadena, has been pumping out weekly updates from the Capitol, and our President & CEO Joe Fain popped over himself last... Continue Reading
The Bellevue Chamber’s PLUSH Committee submitted the following letter to the Bellevue Planning Commission regarding the City’s Housing Opportunities in Mixed-use Areas (HOMA) code update. Continue Reading
Week two of the 2026 short legislative session was marked by intense activity as lawmakers worked within a highly compressed short session timeline. In a short session, bills have only 24 days to be introduced, heard in committee, potentially amended, and voted on before they can be advanced to... Continue Reading
The Washington Roundtable, Association of Washington Business, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and Greater Spokane Inc. issued the following joint statement today opposing HB 2100, legislation that would expand a Seattle-style payroll tax statewide. Continue Reading
2025 flew by — let’s run through each month and reflect on all the good stuff we did this past year! (Advocacy folks don’t fret: Your much-needed and very-detailed “Policy Wrapped” is coming soon. Let’s reflect on the fun stuff first, eh?) Click on each month... Continue Reading
With Washington’s 2026 legislative session already underway in Olympia (a 60-day “short session” running January 12–March 12, 2026), leaders from the East King County Coalition of Chambers (EKCC) met on January 22 to compare notes Continue Reading
You read that correctly: Our typical "5 things you need to know this week" programming is being replaced with a proposed tax rundown! (Riveting ... we know.) 1. For Starters ... Income Tax Based on public discussion and policy signals, a forthcoming Washington state proposal is... Continue Reading
Welcome to the first week of the 2026 Washington State Legislative Session. Continue Reading
At last week’s meeting, the Policy Council voted in support of the upcoming Bellevue School District Levy Renewals. “Now that ballots have hit mailboxes, it is important for us to make our stance clear on both of the Bellevue School District levies that are up for renewal,” said... Continue Reading
The Bellevue Chamber’s Policy Council started 2026 with a full agenda and a clear focus: practical policy conversations that affect employers, employees, and the day-to-day health of our region. Continue Reading
1. Legislative Session = Kicked Off! You saw the pics last week, and now, we've got the blog and recap videos all geared up, too. This year’s Legislative Kick Off program covered a lot of ground, from education and workforce to public safety, the economy, housing, energy, and... Continue Reading
The Bellevue Chamber’s PLUSH Committee (Permitting, Land Use, Sustainability, & Housing) submitted the following letter to the Bellevue City Council in support of the City’s Parking Reform Land Use Code Amendment project initiation. Continue Reading
