A King County judge Friday dismissed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the ports of Tacoma and Seattle holding about a dozen confidential sessions to plan a marketing and operations alliance.

Superior Court Judge Julia Garratt sided with the two ports on two issues, finding that the open meetings advocate who brought the suit lacked standing to challenge the ports’ decision and that federal law pre-empts the state’s Open Public Meetings Act.

The alliance is expected to begin operations this summer after details are worked out between the two ports on operational details.

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