Climate Action This Week: 
  • Climate Resiliency Surcharge
  • Transportation Resources
  • Law Enforcement Detention and Pursuit
  • Police Use of Force
  • Climate in the Growth Management Act
  • Expanding Hydrogen
  • Methane Emissions from Landfills
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* Your information

We think these first three actions will take 10-15 minutes.

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* 📜 1. Climate Resiliency Surcharge - SB 5967

This bill introduces a modest fee on global financial institutions funding fossil fuel projects. Institutions whose funding of fossil fuel projects is more than 4% of their total funding (after subtracting their funding of renewables) are to be charged .5% of their gross profits. Fees collected will be placed in the state Climate Resiliency Account.

Passage of this bill would make Washington a leader in holding financial institutions accountable for their fossil fuel investments.

We are following the lead of Stop The Money Pipeline on this bill.

Scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday, February 22, 4:00 PM.

✏️ Please sign in here to support SB 5967 before Tuesday, February 22, 3:00 PM and select "Pro" in the position button.

📜 2. Transportation Resources - HB 2119

Also known as Move Ahead Washington, this is the house version of the big $16 billion, 16-year transportation package that spends more on transit than any previous package. However, there are drawbacks to the bill that we need to point out to legislators.

We are following the lead of the 350 WA Just Transition In Transportation campaign.

Scheduled for an executive session in the House Transportation Committee, Tuesday, February 22 at 3:30 PM.

Please call or email key members of the House Transportation Committee by Tuesday, February 22, 1:00 PM with comments about needed improvements to HB 2119.

✏️ Click here to send an email to these members of the House Transportation Committee.

If the above link did not work, please address your emails to:

Chair, Rep. Jake Fey (D-27) - (253) 238-0511 - Jake.Fey@leg.wa.gov
1st Vice Chair, Rep. Sharon Wylie (D-49) - (360) 786-7924 - Sharon.Wylie@leg.wa.gov
2nd Vice Chairs, Rep. Dan Bronoske (D-28) - (360) 786-7958 - Dan.Bronoske@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Bill Ramos (D-5) - (425) 654-4402 - Bill.Ramos@leg.wa.gov

If you’re calling and you reach voicemail, be sure to speak slowly and clearly and say the bill number. And be sure to let them know if you are a constituent of their district!

📑 Script: I am concerned that the investments in HB 2119 do not address climate emissions and criteria pollutants as effectively as they could.

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.

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  • Since our transportation sector accounts for 45% of state emissions it’s imperative that Move Ahead Washington spend Climate Commitment Act funding as effectively as possible on emission reductions. 
  • The funding in Move Ahead Washington for active transportation and transit is only a down-payment on repairing decades of underinvestment. Please pass the Frequent Accessible Transit Standard budget proviso so we can set clear targets for getting high-quality transit to communities across the state.
  • Only 16% of Climate Commitment Act funding is used for electrifying vehicles, and most of that is spent on ferries, leaving only 8% of Climate Commitment Act funding for passenger, commercial and freight zero-emission programs and infrastructure. Relying solely on Federal funding for infrastructure is insufficient to meet Washington’s needs.
  • HB 2119 currently directs transit agency spending toward capital and operating expenses, stating that “fuel type may not be a factor in the grant selection process.” Upgrades to transit vehicle fleets must ensure that new vehicles are zero emission and do not add to the air pollution already shouldered by overburdened communities by, for example, just changing to a different fossil fuel like liquified natural gas.
  • Replace Ultra High Speed Rail with “High Speed Rail - Regional,” for long-overdue improvements to our Regional Rail Amtrak System. That is a much more appropriate investment, with more immediate benefits, than Ultra High Speed Rail which would be very expensive and take decades to complete.
  • The highway expansion projects in Move Ahead Washington could add 9 million metric tons of additional climate pollution. HB 2911 should be amended to require that the state calculate such impacts and that legislators consider them before voting on highway expansion projects.

  I called I emailed
Chair, Rep. Jake Fey
1st Vice Chair, Rep. Sharon Wylie
2nd Vice Chairs, Rep. Dan Bronoske
Rep. Bill Ramos

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* 📜 3. Law enforcement detention and pursuit - SB 5919

We oppose this bill. This is a very dangerous bill that would expand the use of high-speed vehicular pursuits, lower the expectations for when officers are required to de-escalate, erode the protections fought for in last year’s accountability legislation, and expand the use of physical force by police officers.

We are following the lead of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability on this bill.

Scheduled for a public hearing in the House Public Safety Committee, Tuesday, February 22, 8:00 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to provide a written comment for SB 5919 before Wednesday, February 23, 8:00 AM. Select “Con” in the position button, then write a comment. It can be as short as a sentence, or can include several points.

📑 Choose 1-2 sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • If SB 5919 were to pass, it would reverse gains made last year by house bills 1310 and 1054. That legislation has saved lives! Police killings are down 62% in Washington State compared with 5% nationally. That is an estimated 30 lives saved last year!
  • Since then, law enforcement has used misinformation and scare tactics to push back on last year’s legislation. Legitimate concerns from law enforcement are being  addressed this year by HB 1735 (clarifying law enforcement roles in behavioral health crises) and HB 1719 (allowing for acceptance of less-lethal military equipment). SB 5919, in contrast, is not a needed clarification but is an expansion of the use of force - a rollback of last year’s carefully crafted de-escalation and use of force standards.
  • High-speed car chases are inherently dangerous. Since 2015, two-thirds of high-speed chases ended in a fatality, and half of those deaths were of innocent bystanders. Since the passage of HB 1054, there has been a 55% decrease in the number of deaths from high-speed pursuits. SB 5919 would reverse these gains.
  • SB 5919 would allow officers to use wide discretion in the use of physical force for fleeing a temporary investigative stop, which requires a very low legal standard of reasonable suspicion. In practice, we have seen that "reasonable suspicion" allows for racial profiling that can lead to tragic outcomes.

All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the orange “DONE” button to submit your actions!
We think these next two actions will take 5-10 minutes.

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* 📜 4. Use of Force - HB 2037

We oppose this bill. This bill is similar to SB 5919 above, lowering the standard for when police may engage in pursuit, including very dangerous vehicular pursuits. Like 5919, it is a step backward from the progress made last year in increasing community safety.

We are following the lead of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability on this bill.

Scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Law & Justice Committee, Monday, February 21, 9:30 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to provide a written comment for HB 2037 before Tuesday, February 22, 9:30 AM. Select “Con” in the position button.  

📑 Choose 1-2 sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • Running away doesn’t always mean people are guilty, let alone dangerous. Young people and people of color often try to run or drive away because of fear and distrust of the police. There are many tragic examples of people being killed in an attempt to keep them from fleeing.
  • If there is serious concern a person may have committed a crime, police can investigate and arrest later if appropriate.
  • Pursuits are dangerous for police officers, suspects and the general public, and harm falls disproportionately on people of color.

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* 📜 5. Climate in the Growth Management Act - HB 1099

This update to the Growth Management Act will support Washington’s largest counties as they plan for a resilient future. It calls for planning that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce risk and foster resilience in the face of increased climate impacts such as wildfires, and requires jurisdictions to incorporate environmental justice goals in land use planning.

We’re following the lead of Futurewise on this bill.

It was referred to the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Friday, but no hearing has been scheduled yet. It is critical this bill gets a hearing and a vote! 

Please call or email key members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee to ask that they support this bill and schedule a hearing and a vote.

✏️ Click here to send an email to these members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

If the above link did not work, please address your emails to:

Chair, Sen. Christine Rolfes (D-23) - (360) 786-7644 - Christine.Rolfes@leg.wa.gov
Vice Chair, Capital, Sen. David Frockt (D-46) - (360) 786-7690 - David.Frockt@leg.wa.gov
Vice Chair, Operating, Sen. June Robinson (D-38) - (360) 786-7674 - June.Robinson@leg.wa.gov
Ranking Member, Sen. Lynda Wilson (R-17) - (360) 786-7632 - Lynda.Wilson@leg.wa.gov
Assistant Ranking Member, Operating, Sen. Sharon Brown (R-08) - (360) 786-7614 - sharon.brown@leg.wa.gov

If you’re calling and you reach voicemail, be sure to speak slowly and clearly and say the bill number. And be sure to let them know if you are a constituent of their district!

📑 Script: I’m writing to ask Senator [Name] to support HB 1099 and to schedule it for a hearing and a vote.

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • Growth management planning is essential to tackling the new reality of climate change. We need comprehensive plans that consider community resiliency in the face of a changing climate and more and more extreme weather events.
  • The groundwork to implement this bill is already being laid by the Department of Commerce through a budget proviso, but HB 1099 needs to pass this year in order to impact the Central Puget Sound 2024 comprehensive planning process. HB 1099 would ensure that we are reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and planning for climate resiliency and mitigation.
  • The legislature has taken strong steps to make Washington State a climate leader -- let’s keep up the momentum and pass this common-sense climate legislation in 2022. I urge you to pass this vital GMA update.

  I called I emailed
Chair, Sen. Christine Rolfes
Vice Chair, Capital, Sen. David Frockt
Vice Chair, Operating, Sen. June Robinson
Ranking Member, Sen. Lynda Wilson
Assistant Ranking Member, Operating, Sen. Sharon Brown
All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the orange “DONE” button to submit your actions!
If you have 10 more minutes, these last two are for you.

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* 📜 6. Expanding Hydrogen - HB 1792

This bill authorizes public utility districts (PUDs) and municipal utilities to produce, use, sell, and distribute “green” electrolytic hydrogen. Hydrogen is emerging as one of the leading options for storing energy from renewables and, when made with electrolysis, provides a clean resource for energy-intensive manufacturing.

350 WA is tracking this bill.

This bill passed out of the House Finance Committee on February 17, but has not yet been assigned to Rules.

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Representatives to help move this bill out of the Rules Committee and vote yes when it reaches the floor. When you “verify” your district, you can select which of your elected leaders to communicate to. For this bill, select both your Representatives.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first sentence of the written comment should be: I support HB 1792.

📑 You can include this talking point:
  • Green hydrogen has an important role to play in the transition of our state’s energy economy. Let’s make sure our municipal and public utilities are able to provide clean resources for energy-intensive manufacturing.

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* 📜 7. Reducing methane emissions from landfills - HB 1663 and Organic materials management - HB 1799

HB 1663 would require landfills to monitor and reduce methane emissions. It would have the additional benefit of capturing other pollutants, improving the air quality in surrounding areas.

HB 1799 would keep more organic material out of landfills where it is a significant contributor to methane emissions. It would provide financial incentives to encourage communities and businesses to separate and compost organic waste, and would make it easier for grocery stores to donate edible food rather than send it to landfills.

We are following the lead of Zero Waste Washington on these two bills.

Both are scheduled for an executive session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on Wednesday, February 23, 8:00 AM.

Please call or email the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology and ask that they support these two bills by the end of Tuesday, February 22.

✏️ Click here to send an email to these members of the Senate committee.

If the above link did not work, please address your emails to:

Chair Sen. Reuven Carlyle (D-36) – (360) 786-7670 – Reuven.Carlyle@leg.wa.gov
Vice Chair Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-40) – (360) 786-7678 – Liz.Lovelett@leg.wa.gov
Ranking Member Sen. Shelly Short (R-07) – (360) 786-7612 – Shelly.Short@leg.wa.gov

If you’re calling and you reach voicemail, be sure to speak slowly and clearly and say the bill number. And be sure to let them know if you are a constituent of their district!

📑 Script: I’m writing to ask Senator [Name] to support both HB 1663 and HB 1799.

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • These are important bills which will help to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Landfills are a significant source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas with a far larger short-term impact than CO2. The EPA estimates that 15.1% of methane emitted in the U.S. in 2019 was from landfills. The methane is generated when organic wastes such as food scraps, grass clippings and paper decompose.
  • Curtailing methane, as HB 1663 would do, is one of the most important steps we can take in the short term to avoid catastrophic global warming. Landfills are an important source of methane that we need to address.
  • Keeping organics out of landfills and getting them into productive uses, as HB 1799 would do, is key to decreasing methane.
  • HB 1799 will also help move excess food to hungry people and create compost that builds up healthy soil.

  I called I emailed
Chair Sen. Reuven Carlyle
Vice Chair Sen. Liz Lovelett
Ranking Member Sen. Shelly Short

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* Thank you for your great work in advancing climate action and equity! Just two and a half weeks to go! How did that go?

-- The 350 WA Civic Action Team

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