Policy Council
The Eastside’s hub for local, state and federal advocacy.
The Bellevue Chamber’s Policy Council is the Eastside’s hub for local, state, and federal advocacy.
Council members come from a wide range of industries and bring deep experience in land use, transportation, affordable housing, taxation, public safety, and the broader economy. Together, they set the Chamber’s policy direction, decide when to lean in on an issue, and coordinate with our subcommittees (PLUSH, Transportation, and the Bellevue Mobility Coalition) to turn strategy into action.
Voting members of the Policy Council are appointed to two‑year terms. Any Chamber member at the Advocate level or above is eligible to serve on an advocacy subcommittee; those groups are open to qualified members by interest and expertise.
The Policy Council oversees the Chamber’s letters, testimony, and coalition work at City Hall, in Olympia, and in Washington, D.C., from housing and transportation investments to tax policy, public safety, and the safety net.
Policy Council meetings pair real-world operator insight with timely data. In 2025, members worked through election dynamics and budget math, refined EKCC’s positions on taxes and housing, urged near-term mobility improvements and supported a federal agenda that speeds delivery for transportation and housing projects. On public safety, the council’s letter to City Council helped focus attention on repeat theft sentencing. On economic competitiveness, the council continues to brief employers on revenue proposals and regulatory changes so they can prepare early and engage constructively.
11
Signature advocacy events each year.
50+
Committee meetings annually
70+
Advocacy letters submitted
32
Employers represented
“The Bellevue Chamber Policy Council brings together business voices to focus on jobs, livability, and efficient government—helping our communities flourish in every sense. The Eastside’s strength as an economic engine depends on this spirit of collaboration and forward-thinking leadership that sustains both our businesses and our quality of life.” - Policy Council Leadership
Policy Council Leadership
Bellevue Chamber CEO, Joe Fain, being interviewed on the Chamber's policy efforts (Left), and Jodie Alberts shares eastside housing needs with Representative Suzan DelBene, on the Chamber's annual DC Fly-in (Right).
The Policy Council continues to work on several initiatives that will shape growth in Bellevue over the next few years:
- State Income Tax Response: Governor Ferguson signed Washington's first income tax (SB 6346, a 9.9% tax on income above $1 million) into law on March 30, 2026. The repeal is now on the ballot.
Certified for the November 3, 2026 ballot: The Washington Secretary of State certified Initiative 645 on July 15, 2026. Let's Go Washington filed 511,408 signatures on July 2 against the 308,911 valid signatures required, and the measure cleared verification with an 82.3% validity rate. Voters decide in November.
Ballot language settled: On August 20, 2026, State Supreme Court Commissioner Michael Johnston denied a motion to keep the public investment impact disclosure off the ballot. Voters will therefore see this statement alongside the measure: "This measure would decrease funding for public K-12 education, higher education (including universities and community colleges), and human services (primarily healthcare)."
Constitutional challenge: Rob McKenna, former Justice Phil Talmadge, BIAW, NFIB, and the Ethnic Chamber Coalition filed suit in Klickitat County Superior Court on April 9, 2026, arguing the tax violates Article VII of the Washington Constitution. That case proceeds on its own track and is expected to reach the Washington Supreme Court by 2027 regardless of the ballot outcome.
BudgetBreakdown.org remains our public education tool tracking Washington state spending, which grew 15.8% in the 2023-25 biennium against 3.5% revenue growth, the structural pressure that produced SB 6346.
- Defending Washington's Competitive Climate: The 2026 legislative session left Washington's employers with the steepest cost spike in a generation, most acutely SB 6346, the household income tax that now reaches pass-through entity owners. The Association of Washington Business's spring 2026 survey of more than 400 employers confirms what we are hearing across the Eastside:
- 24% are considering relocating out of state, up from 17% in Q4 2025 and roughly 8% in winter 2025
- 18% are actively developing a relocation plan
- 7% already have a location secured outside Washington
- 55% are considering moving their personal residence
- 17% have been contacted by out-of-state economic development organizations
Visit BudgetBreakdown.org | Read the 2026 Session Wrap-Up
- Payroll Tax Defense: HB 2100, a proposed 5% statewide payroll tax on compensation above $125,000 per employee, did not pass in 2026 but is expected to return in 2027. The Chamber testified against the bill alongside four business coalition partners, citing Bellevue's 4,000-job gain compared to Seattle's 5,000-job loss since adoption of Seattle's payroll tax.
- Growth Agenda and Housing: We continue advocating for permit reform and a healthy housing production pipeline, while tracking state conversations on the Urban Growth Boundary and Bellevue's Downtown Livability 2.0 effort.
- Light Rail Safety and Transit: With the 2 Line now in cross-lake service after its March 28, 2026 launch, the Council is monitoring Bellevue Police's dedicated light rail unit and coordinating with Sound Transit on station-area safety. Following the Council's May 13 sub-area equity letter, the Sound Transit Board adopted Resolution R2026-11 on May 29 (16-2 vote), deferring the 4 Line (South Kirkland to Issaquah) to 2050 delivery and transferring $100 million from the 4 Line to a Renton parking garage. The Council also approved a Sound Transit Enterprise Initiative letter framing emerging mobility as a complement to regional transit rather than a substitute. We continue to monitor East King sub-area equity and the compounding effect of SB 6346's roughly $2 billion Sound Transit sales tax clawback, effective 2029.
- Data Center Tax Impact: SB 6231 eliminates the sales tax exemption for data center refurbishment projects effective July 1, 2026. The Chamber is assessing the impact on Eastside tech employers with large server infrastructure footprints.
Click here to view all of the members of our Policy Council.
Want to Join Policy Council?
Apply to JoinEligibility: Advocate‑level members and above may join this committee and must be appointed by the Council.