No references to equity? Thurston advisory board recommends changes to appease Trump
The Transportation Policy Board, an advisory body to the Thurston Regional Planning Council, voted earlier this month to recommend changing a regional transportation plan to appease the Trump administration.
A draft of the plan is set to be released to the public, and in time, TRPC’s planning processes will be subject to certification under federal rules, said TRPC Executive Director Marc Daily at the April 9 Transportation Policy Board meeting.
The regional transportation plan provides a blueprint for how the region’s transportation system will work in the future, according to board materials.
“This document was largely done before the change in administration, and so our work had been done under the previous administration’s guidance, which had heavy emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion and environmental justice,” Daily said.
But the new administration doesn’t want to see those terms in documents, he said.
“So we have about 60 instances in this draft regional transportation plan that talk about equity or equitable outcomes in about three or four different sections,” Daily said.
Daily asked for help from the board.
“If the policy board and council would like to see us address that language, to bring it more in compliance with the new administration’s guidance, we will definitely need that direction,” he said.
If TRPC is not viewed as being in compliance, they run the risk of having federal dollars withheld from them, said Daily this week. He didn’t know how much might be at stake, but the organization clearly puts federal money to work.
For example, at the same April 9 meeting, the transportation policy board amended a regional transportation improvement program to include a Chehalis Western Trail resurfacing project. That project alone relies on $1.6 million in federal funds, according to meeting information.
The TRPC is not alone in wrestling with these kinds of changes, said Transportation Policy Board Chairman and Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder.
He recently attended a National League of Cities gathering and many city officials there were asking how much they need to follow Trump’s mandate to remove equity and inclusion goals from requests for federal funding.
“Obviously, this has thrown a lot of us into an unknown space,” Ryder said.
“I mean, my heart tells me to stick with what we’ve done, because that’s what we believe in,” he said. “However, my head is telling me we need to be in federal compliance, even though it doesn’t match our values.”
Other board members reluctantly agreed with him.
“You know, as someone who’s a veteran and happens to be gay and disabled, I check a lot of boxes that this administration hates, and the veteran in me, the soldier in me, wants to fight with everything I have, and I do in my own way,” board member Michelle Murray said.
“I go to protests, I speak out, I make people aware, so that I don’t feel hopeless and helpless,” she said. “But at the same time, like you, my heart says one thing, my head says the other. It sucks to have to give in to this administration, but at the same time, we need to take care of our community.”
Thurston County Commissioner Rachel Grant offered her two cents as well.
“I’m definitely open to adjusting the language. I think we will need to adjust to the new administration’s style and priorities. But with that, I just want to make sure that we are able to make it really clear that this board is committed to the original vision and the values that shape the plan, and that, you know, we will focus on the work going forward.”
Here’s the motion the board voted on, as described by Daily: “Release the draft for public review, recommending that between the draft and the final review we revise the document to ensure compliance with the new administration’s executive orders.
Nine board members voted unanimously to make the change.
“I mean, it really is crazy times right now, but being in compliance, I think, is what is best for our constituents, because these are important projects that are needed in our community,” said Ryder. “And you know, we have to look after the best interests of our community.”
The Thurston Regional Planning Council is set to meet Friday, May 2, and will consider the Transportation Policy Board’s recommendation at that gathering, Daily said.
This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
