Business Community on Offense: Lessons learned from the 2025 session
Regional business leaders dug into what worked, what didn’t, and what must change before the 2026 legislative session at “Business Community on Offense: Lessons Learned from the 2025 Session,” during our most recent Eastside Leadership Conference.
The conversation, led by moderator Symetra's Sharmila Swenson with insights from Rachel Smith (now with the Washington Roundtable; formerly CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber) and Bellevue Chamber President & CEO Joe Fain, centered on coalition advocacy, affordability, economic competitiveness, and elevating employer voices in Olympia.
Want to read the full ELC recap? Check it out here.
Rachel Smith (Washington Roundtable) and Joe Fain (Bellevue Chamber) sat in a packed room at this year's ELC and discussed their joint lessons from the 2025 legislative session.
A United Front in Olympia
Speakers credited an unprecedented level of collaboration among major business organizations in the last session, including the Seattle Metro Chamber, Bellevue Chamber, Association of Washington Business, Washington Roundtable, and partners across the region. A single, coordinated message amplified visibility and influence with both members and lawmakers, and set the tone for the coming session. The coalition met regularly, aligned media outreach, and shared advocacy priorities, improving clarity for legislators and predictability for employers across the Eastside and Puget Sound.
“I would say there's the good, the bad and the ugly from last session ... We really did have an unprecedented working relationship and advocacy relationship.” — Rachel Smith, Washington Roundtable
What Went Wrong? & What Must Change?
Despite progress on coordination, the business community’s core concerns often went unheard. Rapid end‑of‑session negotiations and major tax and regulatory proposals left employers worried about long‑term competitiveness.
“Our members really didn't feel like their concerns were heard in Olympia.” — Rachel Smith, Washington Roundtable
Members also observed a disconnect between stated policy goals and the practical implications for workers and employers, particularly when tax and regulatory changes land all at once. The consensus: Policymakers and businesses need more time, better dialogue, and clearer explanations of impacts before votes are taken.
Both speakers underscored that the most credible messengers are the leaders and employees living these policies, not just their chambers.
“The key learning and the key action item moving forward is to hand YOU ALL the microphone.” — Joe Fain, Bellevue Chamber
Expect more storytelling from employers of all sizes, especially small businesses, and more direct engagement with lawmakers in-district and in Olympia, as the goal is to replace abstractions with the real-world impacts on hiring, wages, and community investment.
Looking ahead, the coalition will double down on fundamentals: Affordability, broad‑based economic development, a predictable regulatory environment, and housing supply.
“We will be doing grassroots lobbying, [and] we will be educating the public and legislators.” — Rachel Smith, Washington Roundtable
Fresh insights from the Seattle Metro Chamber’s Index report point to rising economic anxiety and a voter mandate for basics-first governance. Economic priorities rose to the top, with public safety and street order close behind, echoing what employers are telling chambers across the region.
“Of the top four priorities of government, the voters said two of them were related to economic activity, and clearing encampments was number five.” — Rachel Smith, Washington Roundtable
Uncertainty from Washington, D.C., from immigration policy to tariffs to budget brinkmanship, adds risk and volatility. Employers need stable ground rules to plan and invest.
“Business needs stability, and there's nothing stable about what's happening at the federal level right now.” — Joe Fain, Bellevue Chamber
Locally, leadership transitions are positioning the business community to stay on offense as we prepare for the short 2026 session. Smith highlighted organizational capacity gains at the Seattle Metro Chamber and a renewed focus at the Washington Roundtable on statewide competitiveness and affordability, and here at the Bellevue Chamber, we are ramping up our efforts, too.