A short legislative session mired by lower revenues is facing Washington lawmakers and the city of Kelso’s wish list.

That’s what Gordon Thomas Honeywell State Lobbyist Amina Teouri told the Kelso City Council at its Nov. 4 meeting.

The 60-day session is set to run from Jan. 12 to March 12.

Rural designation

Teouri said a main focus for Kelso will be updating the state’s definition of rural density to again include Cowlitz County, which enables the area to receive certain funding blocked from urban counties like King.

The state defines a rural county as having fewer than 100 people per square mile or an area smaller than 225 square miles. Cowlitz County surpassed the population criteria in 2025, though is larger than the size requirement at about 1,141 square miles.

Teouri, who also

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