Mark your calendars for December 7th at Topgolf for our annual Holiday Party! This event will only be improved upon from last year, and we look forward to hosting our membership and friends of the industry to celebrate this year's Holiday Season. Read More...

Washington Cap and Invest Program Raises Gas Prices to Highest in the Nation. Washington Residents can hold onto their hats as they experience the highest gas prices in the nation, with some regions seeing $5.49 a gallon for gasoline, and higher prices for Diesel. Read More...

WIDE members continue to struggle with exemptions of CCA the Association just finished its annual convention at Suncadia Resort, where the highlights were our General Business Session, Tradeshow and Golf Tournament. Front and center focus is on the complications surrounding implementation of the Climate Commitment Act. The primary complication is the exemptions required to be offered to Agriculture, Maritime and Aviation. Mostly, we are concerned with the Agricultural piece, and getting farmers CAR Free Fuel. Read More...

Since January 1st when the State of Washington launched the Climate Com- mitment Act, which required an immedi- ate implementation of LCFS and Cap and Invest, there have been extensive problems, little understanding of how a gallon of fuel travels through a system, and even less relief from the Department of Ecology and State Legislature to fix the problems.. Read More...

As part of the Climate Commitment Act passed in the Washington Legislature, Department of Ecology has recently released their rules and impacts of this three-pronged program to include a Cap and Trade Program, LCFS, and Green House Gas Program. Read More...

Many thanks to all of you who attended our 2022 Convention at Suncadia. This year felt like our comeback year after several years disrupted by COVID. It was fantastic to reunite our industry family and feel that networking vibe and energy again! Read More...

The Washington Energy and C-Store Convention was scheduled for June 20 – 22, 2022 at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, WA again, and set itself up to be the best event we've ever held! We are VERY grateful to our headline sponsors who so generously donate year after year and helped make this event the best it could be! Thank you to FEDERATED INSURANCE for being our Showcase Sponsor, a coveted exclusive sponsorship with our convention! Read More...

On Thursday, March 10, the 2022 Regular Session of the Washington State Legislature came to a close. The session began in the darkness of the Omicron surge and ended with some optimism with just over 24 hours until the expiration of Washington’s indoor mask mandate. Yet still, the session saw many of the same COVID-19 restrictions as last year, most notably the closure of legislators' offices to constituents, lobbyists, and most staff. Read More...

Tracy Ellis, who is the Audio-Video Media Coordinator for the Washington State Senate Republicans, released information Tuesday that is absolutely shocking. The Department of Labor and Industries has created a new set of rules that could potentially be used by the Governor to extend his vaccine mandate to private businesses. Rumor has it, Governor Inslee expects to announce in November a blanket vaccine mandate for all Washington businesses over 50 employees. The new rules created by L&I would allow Governor Inslee to do just that. Read More...

It was absolutely a pleasure to see everyone back in person at the 2021 Washington Energy and C-Store Convention, as it had been nearly 2 years since any in person event had really happened for our group. While still under some tight COVID guidelines, we still managed to pull off dinners, a golf outing, a modified trade show on the golf course, and some good networking and engagement on property at Suncadia Resort! Read More...

The 2021 105-day virtual legislative session concluded on Sunday, April 25th. To say that this was historically one of the worst sessions for businesses and taxpayers in Washington would be an understatement. To quote republican Senator Doug Ericksen, "The most radical Legislature in the history of Washington state is forcing everyone to live like Seattle." Read More...

Oil is bad, Energy is good. That has been the theme of the decade, and its finally catching up to the Association in a manner that is blocking us from being productive and forward thinking in capturing meetings with anyone with a greener focus. Read More...

As many of you know, our in-person conventions have all been cancelled and kept us from meeting and doing our tradition revenue-generating events. This has caused a major financial gap for our Association, and frankly I’m concerned about 2021 actually getting back to normal for us. As a way to get ahead of our financial gap, Washington Leadership agreed to allow Lea to brainstorm and execute a new way to raise money while keeping us connected. Read More...

After nearly 20 years as the Executive Director of WOMA, it feels as if my work life has been on repeat year after year with the same fun, meaningful, and workable routine. It looks something like this: WPMA in February, EMA in May, WPMA & WOMA Convention in June, State Executives Convention in August, EMA again in October, and Holiday Party in December. Each and every year, it’s pleasingly the same. Until 2020. Read More...

Save the Date for June 22-25, 2020 for the WOMA Trade Show and Convention at Suncadia Lodge & Resort. We are pleased to offer the same schedule and format as 2019, as it was a major hit and did so well. Per usual, I’ve made a couple fun tweaks and revisions just to keep it alive and fun! Read More...

The Puget Sound Clear Air Agency, which governs a four-county region including King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties, announced in the fall their intent to create a Clean Fuel Standard for our region. In November of 2018, Washington State voters rejected a statewide clean fuel standard which was strongly backed and spearheaded by Governor Jay Inslee. In response to that rejection, the PSCAA is trying to implement their own as a stepping stone to that end. More of a back door ruse than anything. Read More...

The 2019 Washington Energy and C-Store convention is behind us, and WOW what a year! Our newly revised format seems to work for vendors, members, and speakers, and is a schedule we will continue to use for upcoming years … or until our members ask us for a change. Read More...

In what was undoubtedly the worst legislative session in history for businesses and all other taxpayers in the state of Washington, the legislature adjourned the 2019 session just prior to midnight on April 28th, the last day of the 105 day session. With solid majorities in both the House and Senate, democrats passed billions of dollars in new taxes and increased state spending by over 17 percent above the previous two-year budget ($43.7 billion) by passing a $52.4 billion 2019 – 2021 state operating budget. This massive increase in taxes and spending occurred despite record revenues flowing into state coffers due to unprecedented economic conditions. As we have seen in previous times when spending went out of control, the first hint of a dip in the economy or a recession will result in a major deficit where state programs will be slashed and additional tax proposals will, yet again, be on the table. Read More...

The 2019 legislative session began on January 14th and will run 105 consecutive days, concluding on April 28th. Democrats gained seats in the both the House and Senate following the November general elections, holding significant majorities in both bodies as well as controlling the governor’s office. During the first four weeks of the session over 2,000 bills were introduced, many targeting the petroleum industry specifically as well as numerous other anti-business measures capturing most Washington employers, including fuel suppliers. Read More...

At the time of this submission, the November 6th general election was less than two days old with many ballots left to tally, so actual results may differ by press time. That said, early results showed a clear trend that a “Blue Wave” was spreading over Washington indicating democrats would gain seats in both the House and Senate in Olympia, thereby expanding their very small majority status (50 – 48 House, 25 – 24 Senate). At this time it looks like the democrat majorities will expand to 57 – 41 in the House and 27 – 22 in the Senate. Read More...

Washington Energy and C-Store Convention is JUST AROUND THE CORNER and I'm so excited to share with you our new schedule! It's going to be a great new line up!
We are tweaking the schedule again, to make it better for all of YOU. We listened to your critiques last year, and we are trying to find the perfect groove that suits the marketer, vendor, and suppliers in a way that gives the maximum benefit! Read More...

Many of you have heard by now that we lost a beloved friend and industry leader, Norm Sather. Norm passed away peacefully in his home on the evening of June 5th with family by his side. Norm was a respected leader of both WPMA and WOMA for many years, and served on the Board of WOMA for many, many years. Read More...

Washington Energy and C-Store Convention is JUST AROUND THE CORNER and I'm so excited to share with you our new schedule! It's going to be a great new line up!

We are tweaking the schedule again, to make it better for all of YOU. We listened to your critiques last year, and we are trying to find the perfect groove that suits the marketer, vendor, and suppliers in a way that gives the maximum benefit! Read More...

The 2018 Legislative Session started on January 8th and will run sixty days until March 8th. As many recall, a November 2017 special legislative election resulted in democrats taking control of the Senate, 25 to 24, and the House remaining in control of the democrats 50 to 48. This is the first time in five years that the House and Senate majorities are not split between the two parties. The result has been an unleashing of pent up demand by liberal democrats who have introduced dozens of bills harmful to business and, in particular, the petroleum industry. Read More...

The 2018 Legislative Session started on January 8th and will run sixty days until March 8th. As many recall, a November 2017 special legislative election resulted in democrats taking control of the Senate, 25 to 24, and the House remaining in control of the democrats 50 to 48. This is the first time in five years that the House and Senate majorities are not split between the two parties. The result has been an unleashing of pent up demand by liberal democrats who have introduced dozens of bills harmful to business and, in particular, the petroleum industry. Read More...

As the WOMA crew heads into winter, we are charged with many new projects and activities! This Association is definitely not in the "hibernation" mode by any stretch!... Read More...

With just over thirty thousand state-wide votes to be counted, all of the 2017 races appear decided. Of the 4,265,035 registered voters in the state, barely 36% turned out to vote. After the remaining votes are counted, the 2017 election results will be certifed by the Secretary of State.. Read More...

The 2017 Convention has come to an end - and honestly - I can't believe that I just completed my 15th convention with WOMA! Looking back, its been a super fun ride. Suncadia has always been a great venue for everyone, and we are pleased to announce that we just signed through 2020! So you can count on the next three years at this beautiful venue - but with the same great hotel rate we have known for the past 10 years! Read More...

Washington Energy and C-Store Convention is JUST AROUND THE CORNER and I'm so excited to share with you our new schedule! It's going to be a great new line up! I've gotten several questions as to WHY we changed the trade show floor to Monday night and Tuesday morning. It's WOMA trying to respond to the needs of our exhibitors and Associate members. It was becoming habit that Wednesday afternoon was a good time for "play time," and less and less CEOs and true decision makers were hitting the floor. So we looked at the schedule and brainstormed ways to make it a win-win situation! Read More...

OVERVIEW: The half-way point of the 105 day 2017 legislative session has just passed. The house of origin cut-off date is March 9th where bills must pass out of their originating body or be lost for the year, except for legislation that pertains to budget matters, which remain alive through the budget negotiation process. Read More...

Election Season in Washington State is always Crazy-Town! This year is no exception. It's been a wild ride in Washington with the election. Initial results are in, and we have mixed news: Read More...

The Washington Oil Marketers Association ("WOMA") has announced its designation of the exclusive publisher and advertising sales agent for the WOMA Online Buyers' Guide (the "Guide") - Overland Park, Kan.-based Strategic Value Media, a leading nationwide provider of print and digital media solutions to national, state and local trade and membership associations. WOMA is proud to provide its members with this exclusive, easily accessible, year-round, valuable resource that is expected to be rst available in the Spring of 2017. Read More...

This year has been a year to mark the record books in many ways. We have had record shattering regulatory and legislative challenges, huge increases in our attendance at the WOMA Convention in June, and a state legislative election ahead of us that could change the way business is done in Washington State. Read More...

The WOMA convention is set for June 19-22, 2016 at our famous location Suncadia Lodge and Resort in Cle Elum, WA. We have another super duper convention lined up for you this year. This year's theme is "Differentiation in a "CIRCUS" of Change". We all know the petroleum marketplace has been more like a circus than a real business. With things like Carbon Tax, Renewable Fuels, Tribal Compact Issues, Green House Gas Reporting, and the like, you are all out there chasing your tail. We recognize that, and are trying to bring light to that fact. So in honor of the theme, we will be doing an outdoor Welcome Dinner with a Carnival theme and midway games! A outdoor bbq, and fun times will certainly be had. We are expanding our silent auction this year, and working on ways to keep you entertained all through the convention. Read More...

At the time of this writng the 2016, sixty-day, legislative session is winding down with less than two weeks remaining. For the most part it has progressed as expected with few controversial measures likely to pass given the House and Senate are controlled by opposite parties. For WOMA, the session has been very exciting as we have been working to pass legislation to expand the authority of the Pollution Liability Insurance Agency (PLIA) where it will be authorized to initiate low interest loans and grants to underground storage tank owners to upgrade their facilities.: Read More...

The 2016 legislative session thus far can be described as "the one that didn't need to happen" (Except for WOMA, but I'll get to that later!). Due to the record long session last year, there is about zero energy among elected offcials to be in Olympia which is evidenced by the fact that almost all activity ends on Thursday afternoons and everyone goes home. One colleague shared with me that the first day of session always feels like the first day back to school after summer vacation. It's a time where there is anxious excitement knowing you would be seeing friends you hadn't seen all summer, and getting back to work. For the first time in over 25 years, my colleague didn't feel that way this year. That analogy probably best describes the mood in the state capital. Now that I'm done with the doom and gloom that is 2016 for most, this session has actually been very exciting for WOMA.: Read More...

On January 5, 2016, Ecology filed the Proposed Rulemaking (CR-102 form) and proposed a new rule (Chapter 173-442 WAC - Clean Air Rule) and amendments to one existing rule (Chapter 173-441 WAC - Reporting of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases). - Read More...

The 2016 legislative session begins Monday, January 11th. This will be a "short" 60-day session that is expected to end on time (or close to it) on March 11th. Given the makeup of the legislature with a democrat majority in the House and a Republican majority in the Senate, any controversial legislation is not expected to pass.

Because the session should be brief in comparison to the 178 days spent in 2015, we have hit the ground running to stay in front of WOMA priority issues. The following is a brief update on what we are working on: Read More...

While Washington's economy has more than doubled in the last 25 years, our carbon emissions are lower than they were in 1990. That's no accident. Our state has been a national leader in protecting the environment, while creating jobs for Washington families. - Read More...

Mark your calendar for the upcoming WOMA Convention. Dates are June 22-24th, and we promise to deliver another great convention. Golf this year will be played on Rope Rider Golf Course and our Welcome Dinner will be at Swiftwater Winery again this year for convenience. - Read More...

Petroleum Contamination Training: Light, nonaqueous-phose liquid (LNAPL) assessment and remediation presents a significant challenge for corrective action and cleanup at petroleum processing, storage, and handling facilities such as refineries, bulk product terminals, gas stations, airports and military bases. - Read More...

On Friday, July 10 the Legislature finally concluded its work after a record 178 days. This included a 105-day regular session, two 30-day special sessions and a third special session that was scheduled to be one or two days, but ended up at thirteen after Senate democrats reneged on a prior budget deal that required further unnecessary delay. - Read More...

With the first special 30-day session that began on April 24 reaching its end it is becoming fairly clear that a second special session will be in order as very little, if anything, has been accomplished in Olympia over the past few weeks. The sticking point remains agreement between a divided legislature over a two year operating budget. Read More...

The largest bill we are battling in the Session so far this year is HB 1314/SB 5283. Both are Governor Inslee's bills to implement a carbon pollution market program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - essentially a Cap and Trade Bill. Inslee has created a list of 130 "Major Polluters" in the state of Washington that would be required to purchase carbon credits in advance and then trade them on the open market to downstream customers. Read More...

The Senate Transportation committee convened in Olympia on November 20th for a work session. During this session, the Office of Financial Management offered a presentation on Recommendations for the Carbon Emissions Reduction Taskforce as well as the recently released Low Carbon Fuel Standard Report done by Life Cycle Associates entitled "A Low Carbon Fuel Standard in Washington State" (see www.ofm.wa.gov/initiatives/ cleanfuelstandards/documents/Carbon_Fuel_Standard_evaluation_2014_revised_draft.pdf for more details) Read More...

This year has been a year to mark the record books in many ways. We have had record shattering regulatory and legislative challenges, huge increases in our attendance at the WOMA Convention in June, and a state legislative election ahead of us that could change the way business is done in Washington State. - Read More...

While many of the great traditions of the WOMA Convention remain, the Executive Committee is always trying new things to make it better and fresh. Some of the things you will see new this year is an expanded trade show floor, a revised schedule for the Ladies' Wine and Dine and a live band, Soul Siren, to finish our convention off on Wednesday night! - Read More...

The 2014 legislative session opened for business on Monday, January 13th and is scheduled to run for 60 days. Unlike last year where lawmakers worked in excess of 160 days through one regular and three special sessions, it is anticipated the Legislature will complete its work on time. This is largely due to the fact that the 2013 legislature was ultimately able to pass a bi-partisan budget critical for funding state operations over the next two fiscal years with no projected budget deficits. Read More...

Washington State is still unfunded for many of its needed transportation projects, and that is causing stimulation in the Legislature to get funded and soon. While the 2013 session concluded without a revenue package, it is not an issue that has gone away. In fact, it's been simmering all throughout the summer and we have been prepped that a "special session" could be called prior to the 2014 Legislative session to address a funding package. - Read More...

2013 has been a stellar year for the members of the Washington Oil Marketers. Dave Ducharme skillfully navigated our group through treacherous waters during the Legislative session, and a double special session. Normal sessions in Washington end by April, and this year Dave rushed back after his presentation during the June convention to sew up details and continue to protect us from transportation taxes. It was certainly a roller coaster year of obstacles. Read More...