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Climate Action this Week: Last chance for bills to get out of their chamber of origin

Climate Action This Week: 
  • Targeted Electrification
  • Expand Higher Density Housing
  • Right to Repair Electronic products
  • Environmental Management of Batteries
  • Solitary Confinement
  • Promoting Salmon Recovery
  • Reducing methane emissions from landfills
  • Adding permanently affordable housing to the definition of public improvements
  • Appliance efficiency
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Here are our first three actions. We think these will take about 10-15 minutes.
📜 1. Targeted Electrification - HB 1767

This bill allows Public Utility Districts and municipal utilities to promote fuel switching from fossil fuels to electricity. Investor-owned utilities, like Puget Sound Energy and Avista, and co-ops already have the authority to help their customers convert equipment. This legislation creates consistency for all customers in the state by clarifying the law and expanding the authority of consumer-owned utilities.

We are following the lead of Shift Zero on this bill.

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Representatives to support this bill 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 your two Representatives. Please do this by Tuesday, February 15, 5:00 PM.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first sentence of the written comment should be: “I support HB 1767.  Please support this bill and vote yes when it reaches the floor.”

📑 Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • What are we waiting for? It’s time to pass this bill!
  • This targeted electrification bill clarifies and expands public utilities’ right to create electrification programs that provide incentives for customers to buy efficient heat pumps and other cleaner energy appliances. This bill levels the playing field between private and public utilities.
  • Utility electrification programs improve customer choice and lower the cost of efficient all-electric technologies. These programs are beneficial to both the utility and the utility’s customers.
📜 2. Expand Higher Density Housing - HB 1782

This bill would create additional “middle” (higher density) housing near major transit stops and in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family detached housing in certain circumstances. This is a key climate policy to improve housing affordability, expand the housing stock, and lower transportation emissions by increasing the population near transit.  

This bill has been amended since last month and its provisions are hotly contested. The most recent news is that the primary sponsor of the bill has offered a substitute version that would only allow duplexes within a quarter mile of major transit, weakening the more expansive rezonings required by the original bill. And in addition, there are numerous amendments offered by members of both parties.

✏️ 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 your two Representatives. Please do this by Tuesday, February 15, 5:00 PM.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first sentence of the written comment should be: “I support HB 1782.  Please support this bill and vote yes when it reaches the floor.”

📑 Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • Washington desperately needs affordable housing. The original bill and the substitute bill are good first steps to relieve the root cause of our housing crisis: a shortage of homes. More middle housing means more affordable home choices near jobs, schools, and transit, as well as more options for first-time homebuyers.
  • This bill is an improvement over the status quo. It is worth the floor time to work through the amendments, provided the resulting bill continues to deliver increased density near frequent transit. I urge you to help pass this bill.
  • Washington’s zoning laws disproportionately hurt communities of color, who have been historically harmed by redlining and are more likely to be renters.  The substitute bill will help address this problem.
📜 3. Right to Repair Electronic Products - HB 1810

This bill would make it possible for small businesses to repair computers, tablets and cell phones so that people can keep using them instead of tossing them away. The bill requires digital electronic product manufacturers, such as Apple and Microsoft, to make repair information, parts and tools available to independent repair businesses and owners.

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

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Representatives to support this bill 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 your two Representatives and your Senator. Please do this by Tuesday, February 15, 5:00 PM.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first sentence of the written comment should be: “I support HB 1810. Please make sure this bill is voted on and passed.”

📑 Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • This bill will lower costs for consumers, and help overcome digital inequities in Washington by increasing the availability of used computers, tablets and cell phones. 
  • Extending the life of computers, tablets and cell phones will decrease the need for more resources and energy to manufacture new products — therefore also decreasing greenhouse gas.
  • It is time for major electronics manufacturers to take responsibility for the environmental footprint of their products. Allowing repair and moving away from planned obsolescence is a good step in the right direction.
All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the orange “DONE” button to submit your actions!
If you have a little more time, these next two actions will take about 10 minutes.
📜 4. Providing for Responsible Environmental Management of Batteries - HB 1896

This bill requires battery manufacturers to establish a convenient and responsible recycling program for portable and medium-sized batteries.  It also makes them responsible for the lifecycle of their products, creating an incentive for manufacturers to make batteries that last longer or are easier to recycle.

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

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Representatives to help move this bill out of the Rules Committee and vote for HB 1896 when it reaches the floor.  When you “verify” your district, you can select which of your elected leaders to communicate to. For this house bill, select your two Representatives. Please do this by Tuesday, February 15, 5:00 PM.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first sentence of the written comment should be: “I support HB 1896. Please make sure this bill is pulled from the Rules Committee so that it can be voted on and passed.”

📑 Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • The battery recycling program required of manufacturers in this bill will reduce the need for mining raw materials, and help reduce greenhouse gasses and toxic emissions.
  • Removing batteries from the waste stream also reduces safety risks for workers and local populations from toxic materials and fires.
  • Please support and vote for this bill.
📜 5. Solitary Confinement - HB 1756

This bill defines "solitary confinement" as confinement alone for 17 or more hours per day and would restrict the use of solitary confinement in state correctional facilities.

We are following the lead of People Power Washington on this bill.

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Representatives to support this bill 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 your two Representatives. Please do this by Tuesday, February 15, 5:00 PM.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first sentence of the written comment should be: “I support HB 1756.  Please support this bill and vote yes when it reaches the floor.”

📑 Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below or feel free to write your own.
  • Prolonged solitary confinement is torture. 
  • Solitary confinement causes extreme psychological distress and lasting impacts. It does nothing to make prisons safer and it increases rates of recidivism.
  • Solitary confinement is used disproportionately against people of color and those with disabilities.
  • Washington state would save millions of dollars by ending solitary confinement.
All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the orange “DONE” button to submit your actions!
If you have a little more time, these last four actions will take about 5 - 8 minutes.
📜 6. Promoting salmon recovery through revisions to the state's comprehensive planning framework - HB 1117

This bill would add a goal of salmon recovery to the listed goals of the Growth Management Act (GMA) and requires comprehensive plans adopted under the GMA to include a strategy that achieves net ecological gain of salmon habitat. The Department of Fish and Wildlife must adopt rules and must monitor and report on the progress that certain counties and cities have made.

We are following the lead of 350 WA and Futurewise on this bill.

Scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government on Wednesday, February 16, 10:30 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to support HB 1117 before Wednesday, February 16, 9:30 AM and select “Pro” in the position button.
📜 7. Reducing methane emissions from landfills - HB 1663

This bill will reduce Washington’s methane emissions by requiring owners or operators of certain landfills to install methane gas capture systems and to collect gas at an extraction rate that complies with the surface methane emission limits set in statute. Many of those technologies also cut emissions of volatile organic compounds and other local air pollutants, reducing possible health risks for landfill neighbors.

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

Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on Wednesday, February 16, 8:00 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to support HB 1663 before Wednesday, February 16, 7:00 AM and select “Pro” in the position button.
📜 8. Adding permanently affordable housing to the definition of public improvements - HB 2061

This bill clarifies that "public improvements" for the purposes of community revitalization financing include permanently affordable housing.

We are following the lead of 350 WA for this bill.

Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Housing & Local Government on Wednesday, February 16, 10:30 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to support HB 2061 before Wednesday, February 16, 9:30 AM and select “Pro” in the position button.
📜 9. Appliance efficiency - HB 1619

This bill would establish new energy efficiency standards for air purifiers, commercial ovens, and electric vehicle supply equipment, and update energy efficiency standards for commercial hot food holding cabinets, portable electric spas and residential ventilating fans.

We are following the lead of Shift Zero on this bill.

Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on Wednesday, February 16, 8:00 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to support HB 1619 before Wednesday, February 16, 7:00 AM and select “Pro” in the position button.
As always, thank you for taking action with us!  Please remember to click “Done” when you are finished. And please let us know what you think of our approach to this session.
-- The 350 WA Civic Action Team

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