Ferguson calls for urgency on ferries and says culvert litigation constrains options

Attorney General Ferguson told an editorial board he would make Washington State Ferries a top, day-to-day priority if elected governor and said the state's culvert‑remediation obligations are constrained by existing court orders.

On ferries, Ferguson described island communities' frustration with declining service and long lead times for new hybrid-electric vessels. He said he has proposed making the head of ferries a cabinet-level post to create direct accountability and would pursue interim steps such as expanding passenger-only ferry options and addressing staffing and regulatory barriers that keep vessels from running.

"Ferries are that same lifeline for a lot of Washingtonians, and it needs that same sense of urgency," he said, urging daily engagement by a governor's office accountable for progress.

On culverts and salmon recovery, Ferguson said the attorney general's office appealed the relevant case to the U.S. Supreme Court because he believed the taxpayer cost for mandated remediation in some locations would be disproportionate. He acknowledged the court ruled against the state and said court orders must be respected, but added that future legislative and stakeholder engagement could prompt new legal arguments or changes to implementation priorities.

Ferguson framed both issues as requiring political will, interagency coordination and legislative engagement rather than quick legal fixes; he said expenditure choices would have to be balanced against other budget priorities.