Friends and neighbors,
First of all, thank you to the many folks who joined our recent Bremerton and Bainbridge townhalls. We had nearly 500 neighbors come out to ask questions and engage with Senator Hansen, Rep. Simmons, and myself.
Your questions, complaints, and suggestions help me better represent you so I’ll be hosting another series of town halls:
I’m looking forward to connecting with you and your family. Please mark your calendars and join us! You can RSVP to any of the events on Facebook by clicking on the date below.
- Saturday, May 3 | 10AM | Bremerton | Norm Dicks
- Sunday, May 4 | 2PM | Poulsbo | City Hall
- Saturday, May 10 | 10AM | Bainbridge | City Hall
- Saturday, May 10 | 2 PM | Kingston | Village Green
- Wednesday, May 14 | 6 PM | Silverdale | CKFR Newberry Hill
Last week, the House passed our Transportation Budget 66-30!
We’ve been working through a very challenging budget gap, so I’m grateful for colleagues coming together to support ferry funding and Kitsap infrastructure.
Some of the proposed investments for Kitsap in the House Transportation budget include:
- Ferries – $1.9 billion for vessel construction and maintenance and staff recruitment & training along with funding for Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries.
- Public Transportation – $686 million for public transit improvements statewide including free rides for youth on buses, ferries, and light rail.
- Freight Corridor – $61 million for SR 3 Freight Corridor Improvements to speed up commute times and boost local supply chains.
- Infrastructure – $28 million for Kitsap infrastructure upgrades including Silverdale Transfer Station and Park & Rides on SR 305 and SR 16.
- Pedestrian & Bike Access – $25 million for Warren Avenue Bridge to modernize vital transit links and build safe bike lanes and continuous sidewalks along SR 303.
As a refresher, the Transportation budget is one of three that the legislature has to pass this year (the other two are the Capital and Operating budgets). Once both the Senate and the House have passed their budgets the two bodies enter into conference to hash out the differences and emerge with a unified budget proposal that will be sent to the Governor for signature.
It’s an honor representing Kitsap on the House Transportation Committee. I’m grateful to Chair Jake Fey and colleagues on both sides of the aisle for smart suggestions and for the strong support to Fix our Ferries.
Wins for Kitsap in the 2025 proposed House Capital Budget
Some of the proposed investments for Kitsap in the House Capital Budget proposal include:
- Higher Education – $45M for a new cyber range academic building at the Western Washington University Poulsbo campus to train more computer scientists and cybersecurity professionals.
- Healthcare – $18.4M to build the Suquamish Opioid Treatment Program. I’m grateful for the Suquamish Tribe stepping up to provide hope and healing.
- Food Security – $2.5M for new Helpline House facility to better help neighbors in need – ensuring kids, working families, and seniors on fixed income have food on the table is a key focus for me, especially given federal funding cuts.
- Education – $2M for the Chief Kitsap Academy and $250K for the Kitsap Regional Library Foundation, vital investments to support students and lifelong learners of all ages.
- Dental – $927K for construction and equipment at Peninsula Community Health Services dental clinic to better serve folks in Bremerton.
- Heritage – $450K for the Bainbridge History Museum to preserve and uplift local stories that inspire future generations.
- Farmland – $124K for the preservation of Suyematsu Legacy Farm, Kitsap’s oldest working farm.
No budget proposal is perfect. The big missing piece for Kitsap is West Sound Tech, our regional skills center that needs construction funding to complete campus modernization. I’m still working with colleagues to secure investments for “Phase 2” construction that will help equip campus to train welders, machinists, nurses, dentists, and healthcare technicians.
I’m thankful for the 100+ West Sound Tech students, alumni, and community members who’ve written my office to urge full funding. Your voice is appreciated and helps us make big things happen for Kitsap.
Bills on the move
Currently two of my bills that made it over from the House are still alive in the Senate. One is in the Senate Rules Committee (waiting to be “pulled” to the floor) and the other was voted off the floor 47-1 and signed by the President of the Senate. Next stop is the Governor’s desk!
Unfortunately, the Mosquito Fleet Act (HB 1923) didn’t make it out of the Senate this session. Despite a strong showing of support from across the state, we were unable to overcome fiscal constraints to increase Passenger Only Ferries.
The good news? We’ve secured $6.3 million in the House Transportation Budget for Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries and King County Water Taxi so we’re building the momentum already. I’ll continue working with my Maritime Caucus colleagues, grassroots leaders, ferry riders, and elected officials across the state to look for more innovative solutions to boost ferry capacity and reliability.
A few highlights from session
Showing the Bainbridge Ordway Otters around the Capitol building in Olympia.
Please reach out whenever you have questions or suggestions. My email inbox is always open: Greg.Nance@leg.wa.gov. Keep an eye on my Facebook page for updates about bills, town halls, and legislative news.
As always, it’s an honor to represent our Kitsap community.
