Climate Action This Week:
  • Transportation Resources
  • Climate in the Growth Management Act
  • Community Solar
  • Clean Technology Tax Deferrals
  • Input from you!
Thanks for taking action with us!

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Question Title

* Your information

We think these first two actions will take 5-10 minutes
Both of these bills were in our Monday CAT email but we think it’s worth sending our messages again.
📜 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:

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* 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. Andrew Barkis - (R-02) - (360) 584-9846 - Andrew.Barkis@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.
  • It’s okay to reduce the number of new road projects. A recent poll indicates that highway expansion is not popular with Washington voters.
  • Please, 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).
  • It’s simple: maintain funding for transit, active transportation, electrification, culverts, maintenance and preservation. Cut destructive highway expansion.
  • Don’t forget, 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. Andrew Barkis

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

Good news! We’re hearing that the conference committee has restored the vital greenhouse gas and Vehicle Miles Traveled elements! This bill is now headed to the floors of each chamber for a concurrence vote, so let’s urge our legislators to vote Yes on the conference version. 

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.

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

✏️ Follow this link to ask your Representatives and Senator 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. 

“Position” - please select “Support.” The first two sentences of the written comment should be: I support HB 1099.  Please vote YES.

📑 You can include 1 or 2 of these talking points or feel free to write your own:
  • 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.
  • The Senate and House Conference Committee have done strong work to negotiate a final version of the bill that re-incorporates critical vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas reduction requirements. Now it’s time to make that vision a reality before some of our largest and fastest growing communities undergo their 2024 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 two actions will take about 10 minutes
The following two bills are still alive and were featured on Monday. These still need to be voted out of committee and passed on the Senate floor.

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* 📜 3. 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.

✏️ 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 to. For this bill, select your Senator.

“Position” - please select “Support”. The first sentence of the written comment should be: Please pass HB 1814.

📑 You can include 1 or 2 of these talking points 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.

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* 📜 4. 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.

✏️ 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 sentence of the written comment should be: Please vote yes on HB 1988.

📑 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 labor standards to deferral and reduction of tax payments will support beneficial labor practices while helping the state move to clean energy.

All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the orange “DONE” button to submit your actions!
We think this last action will take about 10-15 minutes
🥳 5. Input from you!

You did it!

As you can see from the stats we share in our emails, we are an engaged and active community from around the state! Our goal this year was to educate and empower individuals across Washington to take collective action during the legislative process.

We sincerely thank you for your participation!

And we want to hear from you!

We’ve created this survey with the goals of learning how we can improve our work and how we can engage more with our members.

Your feedback and suggestions are invaluable! Our survey will stay open until Sunday, March 20 (the first day of Spring!). And we’ll send a couple reminders too. We’d love to hear from as many people as possible!

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* And with that, look for a wrap-up email next week!

How did that go? Please remember to click “Done” when you are finished.

-- The 350 WA Civic Action Team

P.S. Not on the CAT email list? Sign up here!

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