Climate Action This Week:
  • Transportation Resources
  • Climate in the Growth Management Act
  • Collective Bargaining for Legislative Employees
  • Business Emissions Reductions
  • Expanding Clean Hydrogen
  • Reducing Emissions from Outdoor Power Equipment
  • Clean Technology Tax Deferrals
  • Community Solar
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Question Title

* Your information

We think these first two actions will take 5-10 minutes
📜 1. Transportation Resources - SB 5974

This is the 16-year, $16 billion transportation package known as Move Ahead Washington. It includes the biggest investment ever in transit, but about two-thirds of the money goes to highway projects. As you may have heard, $2 billion of the funding was to come from a tax on fuel exported from Washington refineries. That funding source has been voted down after an outcry from surrounding states. Various proposals for replacing that $2 billion from other parts of the state budget are being discussed. We are advocating to cut $2 billion from highway expansion projects.

We are following the lead of Front and Centered, 350 WA and Disability Rights Washington, the Just Transition in Transportation coalition, on this bill.

Please call or email these key conference committee members and ask them to reduce the spending on new highway projects.

✏️ Click here to send an email to these key conference committee members.

If the above link did not work, please email or call the following committee members:

Question Title

* Sen. Marko Liias - (D-21) - (360) 786-7640 - marko.liias@leg.wa.gov
Sen. Rebecca Saldana - (D-37) - (360) 786-7688 - rebecca.saldana@leg.wa.gov
Sen. Curtis King - (R-14) - (360) 786-7626 - curtis.king@leg.wa.gov

Rep. Jake Fey - (D-27) - (253) 238-0511 - jake.fey@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Sharon Wylie - (D-49) - (360) 786-7924 - sharon.wylie@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Marcus Riccelli - (D-03) - (509) 866-4954 - marcus.riccelli@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Bill Ramos - (D-05) - (425) 654-4402 - bill.ramos@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Dan Bronoske - (D-28) - (360) 786-7958 - dan.bronoske@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/ Representative [Name] to reduce the spending on new highway projects.

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • A recent poll indicates that highway expansion is not popular with Washington voters.
  • Don’t rob the General Fund, the Model Toxics Control Act funds, or the Public Works Fund (which helps communities finance broadband and utility upgrades).
  • Maintain funding for transit, active transportation, electrification, culverts, maintenance and preservation. Cut destructive highway expansion.
  • The highway expansion projects in Move Ahead Washington could add 9 million metric tons of additional climate pollution. 
  • The air pollution from highways disproportionately impacts BIPOC and lower-income communities, who have higher rates of asthma and other respiratory diseases. The expansion projects in this bill, especially in north Pierce and south King County, and in Spokane would increase the harm to local communities. 
  • Expanding highway capacity does not address any of our transportation problems -- not congestion, climate change, air pollution, traffic deaths, or mobility issues -- for those who don’t drive.

  I called I emailed
Sen. Marko Liias
Sen. Rebecca Saldana
Sen. Curtis King
Rep. Jake Fey
Rep. Sharon Wylie
Rep. Marcus Riccelli
Rep. Bill Ramos
Rep. Dan Bronoske

Question Title

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

This bill is an update to the comprehensive planning framework, prioritizing environmental justice while promoting efforts to increase housing, protect open space, provide access to transportation alternatives and mitigate the effects of climate change. As initially written, it addressed climate change by reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and requiring our fastest growing cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). But it was amended in the Senate Ways & Means Committee to scrub those goals from the bill, even removing the words “climate change” in several places. It has passed both chambers and will be negotiated into final form by leaders in the House and Senate. It then needs to go back to the floors of both chambers for final passage.

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

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Senator and Representatives to support this bill. When you “verify” your district, you can select which of your elected leaders to communicate to. For this bill select your senator AND both of your representatives, and urge them to restore the climate and VMT (vehicle miles traveled) provisions to the bill.

“Position” - please select “Support.” The first sentence of the written comment should be: Please restore the climate and VMT (vehicle miles traveled) provisions in the bill.

📑 You can include 1 or 2 of these talking points or feel free to write your own:
  • It is unrealistic to think we can tackle climate change with resiliency alone, without addressing ongoing contributions to the problem caused by human behavior. We need good planning to enable Washingtonians to reduce emissions.
  • The best time to add climate change to the Growth Management Act was when it was first enacted in 1990. The next best time is now.
  • We must pass and fund HB 1099 in strong form this year in order to impact the next round of local comprehensive plan updates.

All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the orange “DONE” button to submit your actions!
We think these next three will take about 10-15 minutes

Question Title

* 📜 3. Extending Collective Bargaining to Legislative Employees - HB 2124

This bill would create the office of state legislative labor relations to establish the basis for future collective bargaining by legislative employees.

350 WA is tracking this bill.

This bill has passed the House and is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Ways & Means Committee Monday, March 7, 5:00 PM.

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Senator to support this bill. When you “verify” your district, you can select which of your elected leaders to communicate with. For this bill select your Senator, and urge them to bring the bill to the floor and pass it before the end of session March 10.

“Position” - please select “Support.” The first sentence of the written comment should be: I support HB 2124. Please vote YES.

📑 You can include 1 or 2 of these talking points or feel free to write your own:
  • Legislative assistants work long hours under a great deal of pressure.
  • They deserve the same bargaining rights as other state employees.

Question Title

* 📜 4. Business Emissions Reductions - HB 1682

Emissions-intensive, trade-exposed (“EITE”) businesses are core industries, primarily manufacturing, that release large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and face significant national or global competition for their products. The 2021 Climate Commitment Act required the legislature to define the schedule and pace of EITEs’ emissions reductions (“compliance pathway”) for achieving their proportionate share of the state's emissions reductions from 2035 through 2050.  

 350 WA is tracking this bill.

This bill is waiting for a floor vote in the House. It is necessary to implement the budget so it is exempt from cutoff dates, but does need to be passed out of both chambers by the end of the session March 10.

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Representatives to vote YES on this bill. When you “verify” your district, you can select which of your elected leaders to communicate with. For this bill, select both your Representatives.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first two sentences of the written comment should be: I support HB 1682. Please vote YES.

📑 You can include this talking point or feel free to write your own:
  • Thankfully, this bill was improved by the prime sponsor in the House Appropriations Committee. Its guidelines for compliance are tighter and more focused than in earlier versions. I urge your support.

Question Title

* 📜 5. 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 is waiting for a House floor vote. It is “Necessary To Implement Budget” and exempt from cut-offs, but it does need to be passed by both chambers before the end of session on March 10.

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Representatives to vote YES when it comes up for a vote. When you “verify” your district, you can select which of your elected leaders to communicate with. For this bill, select both your Representatives.

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

📑 You can include this talking point or feel free to write your own:
  • 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.

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 will take 10-15 minutes

Question Title

* 📜 6. Reducing Emissions from Outdoor Power Equipment - HB 1918

This bill exempts zero-emission outdoor power equipment from the sales tax beginning in 2023, and, beginning in 2025, requires government agencies to purchase zero-emissions outdoor power equipment when possible. This legislation uses tax incentives to speed private sector transition off the noisy, highly polluting leaf blowers and other outdoor equipment used in landscaping.

350 WA is tracking this bill.

This bill passed the House (by a vote of 81-15). Yay! We think it has a good chance of passing in the Senate but would like to make sure our senators don’t let it fall off the priority list.

Scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Monday, March 7, 5:00 PM, and for executive session of the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Wednesday, March 9, 12:00 PM. 

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Senator to support this bill. When you “verify” your district, you can select which of your elected leaders to communicate with. For this bill, select your Senator.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first two sentences of the written comment should be: Please make sure that HB 1918 is moved to the floor and passed before the end of session on March 10th.

📑 You can include 1 or 2 of these talking points or feel free to write your own:
  • This bill uses tax incentives to speed private sector transition off the noisy, highly polluting leaf blowers and other outdoor equipment used in landscaping.
  • This bill provides small but simple fixes to reduce our emissions.

Question Title

* 📜 7. Clean Technology Tax Deferrals - HB 1988

This bill would establish a retail sales and use tax deferral program for certain investments in clean technology manufacturing, clean alternative fuels production, and renewable energy storage. It would also reduce the amount of state sales and use tax that must be repaid by eligible projects if the recipient complies with specified labor standards.

We are following the lead of the Washington State Labor Council on this bill.

This bill passed the House (56-40) on March 4. It is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee Monday, March 7, 5:00 PM and executive session in Ways & Means on Wednesday, March 9, 12:00 PM.

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Senator to support this bill. When you “verify” your district, you can select which of your elected leaders to communicate with. For this bill, select your Senator.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first two sentences of the written comment should be: Please make sure that HB 1988 is moved to the floor and passed before the end of session, March 10th.

📑 You can include 1 or 2 of these talking points or feel free to write your own:
  • We need to start building the technology to move us to a cleaner energy future. The bill encourages manufacturing investments in solar panels, clean alternative fuels, and alternative energy storage, technologies needed to address climate mitigation.
  • The tax incentives in this bill are paired with high labor standards, which will produce good family-wage jobs. Tying the labor standards to deferral and reduction of tax payments will help create beneficial labor practices in conjunction with the state's move to clean energy.

📜 8. Community Solar - HB 1814

This bill aims to expand equitable access to the benefits of renewable energy through community solar projects. It provides a new one-time credit for start-up costs and virtual net metering for community solar projects with low-income residents and low-income service provider subscribers. 

We are following the lead of Olympia Community Solar on this bill.

This bill passed the House on Saturday, February 26th (56-39) and needs to pass the Senate by March 10th. It is scheduled for a public hearing Monday, March 7, 5:00 PM and an executive session Wednesday, March 9, 12:00 PM, both in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Please call or email key members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee and ask them to hear and pass the bill so it can be passed by the full Senate before the end of the session on March 10.

✏️ Click here to send an email to these key conference committee members.

If the above link did not work, please email or call the following committee members:

Question Title

* Chair, Sen. Christine Rolfes (D-23) - (360) 786-7644 - christine.rolfes@leg.wa.gov
Vice-chair, Sen. David Frockt (D-46) - (360) 786-7690 - david.frockt@leg.wa.gov
Vice-chair, 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

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 vote HB 1814 out of committee in time for it to pass the Senate before the end of the legislative session. 

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • Please support this important bill. Washington’s low-income families need support accessing solar energy. 
  • We can leverage clean energy to provide long-term economic relief to Washington communities most burdened by energy bills, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

  I called I emailed
Chair, Sen. Christine Rolfes
Vice-chair, Sen. David Frockt
Vice-chair, Sen. June Robinson
Ranking Member, Sen. Lynda Wilson

Question Title

* How did that go? As always, thanks so much for taking action with us! Please remember to click “Done” when you are finished.

-- The 350 WA Civic Action Team

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