LEGISLATURE 2025-26: New specialty license plate to support Whidbey history

Jessie Stensland reports on the state legislature for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.

Someday, perhaps next year, car owners will be able to show their support for Coupeville’s marine heritage in a way that’s both personal and financial.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill into law this week that creates 13 new special license plates in honor of specific organizations or issues. One of the designs to make the list is “Maritime Northwest,” which will support two Coupeville nonprofit organizations — the Whidbey Island Maritime Heritage Foundation and Historic Whidbey.

The Maritime Heritage Foundation owns and operates the schooner Suva and works to preserve the maritime history of Coupeville, Penn Cove and Whidbey Island. Historic Whidbey owns the Haller House in Coupeville and is committed to protecting and promoting historic sites on the island.

This year was the third time a bill approving the plate was sponsored in Olympia. The first year, Rep. Dave Paul, D-Oak Harbor, and then-Rep. Greg Gilday, R-Camano, sponsored the bill, but it didn’t pass. The second time around, it was sponsored by Paul and Rep. Clyde Shavers, D-Clinton.