John,

We all deserve to live in a thriving, healthy environment that is equitable for all: with clean air, cool waters for salmon and people, abundant forests, strong communities, a resilient democracy and treaties upheld.

Together, we are committed to accomplishing this vision.

Photo credit: Ricky Osborne

The 2024 legislative session concluded last night after legislators funded an estimated $1.2 billion for climate action and healthy communities generated by the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The new budget includes funding to reduce dangerous pollution; to improve air quality in schools, homes, and businesses; to tap into the carbon reducing benefits in forests, natural areas, and agricultural lands; and to help low and moderate income households pay their energy bills and afford climate improvements like heat pumps and insulation. This builds on roughly $2 billion in funding CCA made possible last legislative session.

With dollars starting to reach communities across the state, positive change is already benefiting communities today and will continue to grow.

Here’s the environmental progress we made with your support:

FUNDED! The Climate Commitment Act funded many projects and programs that directly impact people statewide. A few examples include $45 million to improve air quality and decarbonize schools, $50 million for community-based development of climate solutions, $55 million for climate-smart, multi-family affordable housing projects, $25 million for Salmon Recovery Funding Board, $15 million to store and sequester carbon in forests, and much more.

PASSED! 100% Clean School Buses (HB 1368), strengthens an existing grant program that funds the purchase of zero-emission school buses, and provides increased funding via the Climate Commitment Act for the purchase of buses and charging infrastructure.

PASSED! Finally, after 5 years of advocacy, the legislature passed Buy Clean, Buy Fair legislation, (HB 1282).The effort was a collaboration with labor unions and the Blue Green Alliance. Now, the state will collect data and improve transparency on the carbon footprint and labor conditions behind specified building materials. Moving forward, this tool will help the state reward manufacturers of climate smart building materials while also supporting workers.

Of course, we have more work to do. Efforts to overhaul the state recycling system (The WRAP Act) and to give local governments the ability to move to even-year elections that improve voter participation fell short and did not pass. However, these efforts are not going away.

With the 2023 legislative session over, we are laser-focused on defending the very bold climate progress we worked so hard to achieve.

Earlier this year, right-wing multimillionaire tax-dodger Brian Heywood and his legislative ally Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) paid for enough signatures to place Initiative 2117 on the fall ballot. His initiative seeks to repeal the Climate Commitment Act and let corporate polluters off scot-free on polluting. We need you to stay engaged with us to defeat this attempt to take us backwards and to Vote NO on I-2117 in November! You can learn more and join the fight here.

Check out more ways to easily engage:

Join our new Ambassador program, which is a digital community of folks advocating through simple actions and opportunities for the environment.
Attend Spark, Powering Transformative Change, Washington Conservation Action’s annual fundraising event to power our work through 2024. Register here.
Help us expand and defend our environmental progress during the 2024 election through text-banking, phone-banking, canvassing and even just making sure your community is voting by bookmarking our 'Take Action' page.
As I mentioned above, we need you to be a part of defeating Initiative 2117 so polluters keep paying for the harm they cause, and our state can invest in real solutions for our health and the environment.

In fierce gratitude,

Alyssa Macy (she/her)
CEO, Washington Conservation Action
Citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Oregon

Join us for Spark: Powering Transformative Change, our annual event on May 9, 2024.
We are excited to gather in community to meet the moment for healthy communities, a clean environment, and justice!