Climate Action This Week: 
  • Middle housing
  • Energy Navigator for building owners
  • Climate change in the state’s planning framework
  • Net metering for renewable energy
  • “Buy Clean, Buy Fair” for public building construction and renovation
  • Protecting tenants from excessive rent increases
  • Right to repair digital electronic equipment
  • Trust lands transfer
  • Prohibiting utility shutoffs during extreme heat
  • Alternative jet fuels

If you're viewing this on a smartphone, make sure you're in your browser, and when calling or emailing, be sure to mention if you are in the representative or senator’s district. And, unfortunately, SurveyMonkey does not support copy and paste on mobile devices.

Question Title

* Your information

All of the actions today use the “Comment on this bill” page. Similar to committee sign-ins, you confirm your district by entering your address (hopefully with the help of your browser’s auto-complete) and select who you want to contact (Senator and/or Representatives). For most of today’s actions, it will be both Representatives; for a couple it will be your Senator. Then choose your position on the bill from the three green buttons and write a sentence or two on why you care about the bill, or just say, “Please have the Rules Committee pull this bill to the Floor and support it with your vote.”

For the last bill, our goal is to educate legislators and ask for significant amendments or for a No vote opposing the bill. It is a long section as we educate ourselves and fight an uphill battle on a complicated issue.
We think these first three actions will take about 10 minutes.
📜 1. Increasing middle housing in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family detached housing - HB 1110

For cities planning under the Growth Management Act, this bill would allow duplexes (and 4-plexes if affordable housing is included or the building is near transit) in cities of between 25,000 and 75,000, and would allow 4-plexes (and 6-plexes if affordable housing is included or the building is near transit) in or adjacent to larger cities. Cities may carry out an anti-displacement analysis and may obtain an extension for areas at risk of displacement.

We are following the lead of Homes4WA on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1110 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • This bill takes critical steps to address our housing shortage and to reduce emissions encouraging transit use and more environmentally-friendly dwellings.
  • This bill allows 4-plex development in all single-family zoned areas for any city over 75,000 residents and smaller cities that are near cities of over 200,000. Allows for developers to build up to 6-plexes in these same areas if at least two of the units are made affordable as defined in the bill or they are within a half-mile of frequent transit.
  • This bill allows 2-plex development in all single-family zoned areas for any city between 25,000 and 75,000 residents. Allows for developers to build up to 4-plexes in these same areas if at least one of the units is made affordable or they are within a half-mile of frequent transit.
  • Review processes and critical areas regulations would need to be the same for middle housing as for detached single-family homes.

Question Title

* Did you contact your representatives about HB 1110?

📜 2. Concerning energy in buildings (Navigator program) - HB 1391

The goal of this bill is to help coordinate the many different programs available to community members and to serve as an “information hub". This bill would establish and oversee a statewide building energy upgrade “navigator program” to assist building owners with accessing electrification services and energy efficiency services, funding, and any other assistance that will result in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, job creation, business opportunities, and workforce development in the building sector.

We are following the lead of Shift Zero on this bill. For more information, here is their 1-pager on the Navigator.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1391 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • This bill would create a reliable resource that homeowners can turn to in order to access factual information about transitioning their homes to clean sources of energy, find related services and understand available incentives. It would help clear up confusion and be an important decision-making tool.
  • This bill would provide a resource to help our workforce and businesses transition to a clean energy job market in the building sector.
  • Many residents do not know how to access energy programs and incentives. This is especially true of low income, BIPOC and rural households who are less likely to have the luxury of time and easy internet access. This program would be a good use of public funds to make this process easier for all residents.

Question Title

* Did you contact your representatives about HB 1391?

📜 3. Improving the state's response to climate change by updating the state's planning framework - HB 1181

This is a resuscitated and updated version of last session’s HB 1099 which almost passed the legislature but failed at the eleventh hour. Like last year’s version, HB 1181 would ensure that our cities reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and protect communities and natural resources from the accelerating impacts of a changing climate. This update to the Growth Management Act (GMA) would support Washington’s biggest counties as they plan for a resilient future.

We are following the lead of Futurewise on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1181 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • We need to take climate change into account as we manage our growth. If Washington state is truly serious about taking climate action, this bill in its strongest form, needs to pass this year.
  • Last year’s failure to pass 1099 was unacceptable; this year the policy must pass.
  • Transportation is our biggest source of climate pollution. We need an updated GMA to reduce sprawl.
  • Updating the GMA to provide better land use and transportation planning will result in more livable communities and reduce climate pollution at the same time.
  • Cities and counties need to use smart planning to reduce and prevent the impacts of wildfire, drought, sea level rise and flooding. We need to identify the “hot spots” where these disasters are more likely to happen and plan for resilience.

Question Title

* Did you contact your representatives about HB 1181?

All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the orange “DONE” button to submit your actions!
We think these four actions will take 10-15 minutes.
📜 4. Concerning on-premises energy generation - HB 1427

This bill extends and makes other changes to the state’s net metering for renewable energy, helping to ensure that rooftop solar production continues to be a viable option for building owners. In addition, this bill provides that any unused credit must be distributed annually to low-income customers (in addition to existing funds for this purpose). The law currently provides that any unused credits for kilowatt-hours accumulated during the previous year are granted to the electric utility, without any compensation to the customer-generator.

We are following the lead of Spark Northwest on this bill. More information is available here: Net Metering.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1427 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • HB 1427 will increase the availability of solar power and help our transition to clean renewable energy by removing practical obstacles to receiving the benefits of solar power.
  • HB 1427 will ensure that rooftop solar production continues to be a viable option for building owners by extending and making other improvements to our state’s net metering program for renewable energy.
  • HB 1427 will also provide that any unused credit must be distributed annually to low-income customers. The existing law provides that any unused credits for kilowatt-hours accumulated during the previous year are given to the electric utility, without any compensation to the customer-generator. 

Question Title

* Did you contact your representatives about HB 1427?

📜 5. Requiring environmental and labor reporting for public building construction and renovation material - HB 1282

This bill, known as “Buy Clean, Buy Fair,'' establishes environmental and labor reporting requirements for the construction or renovation of large public buildings with an emphasis on: optimizing the embodied carbon throughout the lifecycle of the structure; improving human and environmental health; growing economic competitiveness; and promoting high labor standards in manufacturing. The bill will incorporate climate, other types of pollution impacts, and the quality of working conditions into the procurement process. The bill attempts to recognize and reward Washington manufacturers that promote high labor standards in manufacturing, and to preserve and expand low carbon materials manufacturing in Washington.

350 WA CAT recommends this action. Climate at the Legislature’s summary has more detailed information and here is a Buy Clean, Buy Fair information sheet.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1282 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • This bill aims to recognize and reward Washington manufacturers who promote high labor standards in manufacturing, and to preserve and expand low carbon materials manufacturing in Washington.
  • This bill supports three important goals: improved climate, fair working conditions and healthy economic development in Washington.
  • This bill, known as “Buy Clean, Buy Fair,'' establishes environmental and labor reporting requirements for the construction or renovation of large public buildings with an emphasis on reducing embodied carbon, improving human and environmental health, growing economic competitiveness, and promoting high labor standards in manufacturing by incorporating climate and other types of pollution impacts and the quality of working conditions into the procurement process.

Question Title

* Did you contact your representatives about HB 1282?

📜 6. Protecting tenants from excessive rent and related fees by providing at least six months' notice for rent increases over a certain amount, allowing tenants the right to terminate a tenancy without penalty, and limiting late fees - HB 1124

This bill requires that landlords provide 180 day notice for rent increases over 5%, caps rent late fees to the lesser of 10% of rent or $75, and allows tenants to terminate their tenancy before rent increases over 5% by giving 45 days notice with no penalty.

We are following the lead of Homes4WA on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1124 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • This is a major improvement on the current law that only requires 60 days notice for large rent increases. That short time frame makes it particularly difficult for low-income renters to find new affordable places to live that keep them close to their jobs / schools / community.
  • This bill not only increases the amount of time that tenants have before major rent increases, but it also allows them to leave their current rental situations before their rental agreement is completely up which prevents them from having to pay rent on two different places during any potential time of overlap. This creates more flexibility which is needed in this tight rental market. 
  • By capping late fees, it decreases the financial hole people get into when they’re already struggling to make the rent.

Question Title

* Did you contact your representatives about HB 1124?

📜 7. Promoting the fair servicing and repair of digital electronic equipment - HB 1392

This Right to Repair bill requires manufacturers to make certain parts, tools and repair information available to independent repair providers so that computers, tablets and cell phones can be more easily repaired. The bill also makes a breach of its provisions a breach of the Consumer Protection Act which enables a successful complainant to recover their legal fees.

We are following the lead of Zero Waste Washington on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1392 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • This bill would create a more robust reuse and repair economy and lower costs for consumers so they can keep using their computers, tablets and cellphones instead of replacing them.
  • This bill would help get used computers, tablets and cell phones into the hands of people who need them and help overcome digital inequities by making repair more affordable and accessible for people with low incomes and those who live in rural areas far from a manufacturer’s store.
  • Rather than having to ship your computer somewhere to be repaired, the bill would increase local access to repair services while supporting local businesses and jobs.
  • There’s a huge amount of e-waste! Extending the lives of computers, tablets and cellphones will decrease greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the need to mine even more rare earth minerals and precious metals.

Question Title

* Did you contact your representatives about HB 1392?

All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the orange “DONE” button to submit your actions!
We think these last three actions will take 10 - 20 minutes, depending on how much time you devote to alternative jet fuel.
📜 8. Concerning the department of natural resources land transactions, revenue distributions, and creation and management of a trust land transfer program - HB 1460

This bill would authorize the Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) to create a Trust Lands Transfer program to transfer economically underperforming state lands to other purposes, and to acquire replacement property to provide sustainable revenue to trust beneficiaries. The bill would also modify DNR's authority to exchange state forestlands on behalf of counties and eliminate a restriction that DNR may not hold more than 1,500 acres in a land bank. This bill would help protect vulnerable flora and fauna by allowing counties to replace working land occupied by protected species with productive land outside their boundaries.

We are following the lead of Trust Lands Transfer Revitalization Group, WA State Lands Working Group, and the Center for Responsible Forestry on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact both of your Representatives using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that HB 1460 is pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • This bill provides for repurposing economically underperforming State lands for a greater public good and will improve the asset base of the State Trusts.
  • HB 1460 provides a transparent process for the creation of transfers and it will streamline the transfer process between Common Trust and State Forest land.
  • HB 1460 will bolster rural communities, protect Washington wildlife, and help put public lands back into public hands.
  • It provides a mechanism for counties to receive revenue when replacement land is not within its boundaries.
Are you in the 5th Legislative District? Here’s an additional way to support this bill: your Senator is on the budget writing committee and this house bill needs not only to pass but to be funded.

✏️ Please call or email the Vice Chair of Ways & Means for the Capital Budget, Sen. Mark Mullet (D-5) – (360) 786-7608 – mark.mullet@leg.wa.gov.

📑 Script:

As a constituent, I’m asking you to fully fund the Department of Natural Resources’ Trust Land Transfer (TLT) tool in the Capital Budget. TLT has created such incredible places in our community like West Tiger and Mt. Si. We need the state to continue to protect our natural heritage. Full funding of $25 million for TLT means we can protect more of Tiger Mountain and other outdoor recreation and wildlife habitats throughout the state. We need a fully revitalized Trust Land Transfer tool and you can make that happen.

Please include $25 million in the Capital Budget for Trust Land Transfer.

Question Title

* Did you contact your representatives about HB 1460?

  I contacted these representatives about HB 1460
I contacted both my representatives
I am in the 5th district and I emailed Sen. Mark Mullet
I am in the 5th district and I called Sen. Mark Mullet
📜 9. Preventing utility shutoffs for nonpayment during extreme heat - SB 5366

This bill would prevent water and electric utilities and landlords from cutting off power to buildings during extreme heat events.

We are following the lead of Front and Centered on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact your Senator using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Support” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please ensure that SB 5366 is placed on second reading, pulled to the floor for a vote, and vote yes in support.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • The goal of this bill is to prevent buildings from losing power to run cooling systems when areas are suffering from extreme heat. We need to prevent negative health impacts and deaths from extreme heat.
  • The bill also provides that electric and water utilities and landlords must reconnect previously disconnected power when there is an extreme heat advisory.
  • This bill mirrors previous legislation that prevents utilities from shutoffs during extreme cold temperatures.

Question Title

* Did you contact your Senator about SB 5366?

📜 10. Alternative Jet fuels - SB 5447

This bill would use Climate Commitment Act funds to provide tax credits for alternative jet fuels with lower carbon emissions than conventional jet fuel. It is designed to promote the development of the low carbon fuel industry in Washington state and is intended to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft. Unfortunately, that is an unrealistic and problematic strategy. For more detail about the problems with this approach, see the talking points below, or longer versions here and here.

We are following the lead of the 350 Seattle Aviation Team on this bill.

✏️ Please click here to contact your Senator using the “Comment on this bill” form and press “Oppose” in the position button. The first sentence of your comment should be: “Please do not support SB 5447 and please oppose it in a floor vote.”

📑 Here are additional talking points, or feel free to write your own:
  • Alternative jet fuels would provide only very modest reductions in GHG emissions and do nothing for the other impacts such as noise and other local pollution impacting primarily low-income communities near airports. They would also do nothing to reduce the contrails and cirrus clouds which are responsible for more than half of jets’ warming effect.
  • The Port of Seattle has a goal of 10% alternative fuel for outgoing flights by 2028. Even if alternative fuel achieves the best-case-scenario of 80% reduction in carbon emissions, emissions would only be reduced by 8% (80% of 10% = 8%). That small reduction would be more than wiped out by the projected increase in flights. By focusing on this small reduction and rewarding the aviation industry by subsidizing it, we divert attention from the need to reduce flying, and we let the aviation industry escape responsibility for the pollution it continues to cause.
  • The aviation industry should be made to take financial responsibility for its pollution. This would incentivise it to develop non-polluting solutions such as electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell electric propulsion planes. Airbus and Zero-Avia are developing such planes but Boeing has shown no intent to do so, and has no incentive when we taxpayers subsidize their polluting practices.
  • This bill perpetuates dependence on air travel and fails to consider or study the efficiency of flights and business use. Supporting this elite lifestyle for a small percent of the population at the economic expense of, and increasing short and long term pollution for all taxpayers is inequitable and wrong.
  • Alternative jet fuels are not a solution. These future steps truly address aviation health and climate impacts: (1) Use the Climate Commitment funds instead to support R&D for green hydrogen flight and battery electric flight; (2) Follow Europe's lead to adopt policies to reduce demand for flying; (3) Make our state government a model in reducing its own plane travel; (4) Provide better rail service to replace short-haul trips, e.g.from Seattle to Portland or Vancouver, BC; (5) In general, redesign how we move people and goods with a focus on equity and climate justice. There is a lot we can do! And a lot of this can stimulate the Washington economy in a green way.
  • At a minimum the bill should be amended to add criteria to make sure the full lifecycle emissions of these fuels are measured so that we do not use public dollars to subsidize the types of alternative aviation fuels that fail to reduce GHG emissions. For example, some types of alternative fuel such as corn ethanol alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) have an equal or larger carbon footprint than regular jet fuel because of the GHG emissions from growing and processing corn.
  • This bill should also be amended to prohibit the harvesting of mature forests to make biofuel and add protections so that the feedstocks and the refinery locations for these fuels will not add harm to already overburdened communities in WA or to sensitive ecosystems.
  • This is an inappropriate use of precious CCA funds. They should be used for realistic solutions.

Question Title

* Did you contact your Senator about SB 5447?

Question Title

* Good work doing a new kind of action today! Thank you for working with us on this.

-- The 350 WA Civic Action Team

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