John,

Now that the dust has settled on the 2024 legislative session, I want to give you an update on the important progress we made together:

Buy Clean/Buy Fair (HB 1282) - After more than five years of work, Washington finally has a system to report the carbon impact of building materials, as well as the labor practices of manufacturers. With this in place, the state can purchase these products for state projects, rewarding climate-smart manufacturers that support their workers.
Toxic Tires and Salmon (SB 5931) - The Legislature closed a loophole in the Safer Products for Washington Act by clarifying that tires are not exempted from this law. This could mean expedited stormwater treatment of road runoff since the chemical compound is found in all major tires available in the US and throughout the world.
100% Clean School Buses (HB 1368) - Using Climate Commitment Act funds to purchase zero-emission school buses and charging infrastructure to make the transition successful for school districts.

The Legislature also adopted a new budget that invests in communities and solutions to fight over pollution and climate change with funds from the Climate Commitment Act. Some highlights include:

Cleaner Air in Schools – $45 million in the new budget will help improve air quality and reduce pollution in schools across the state.
Climate and Housing – $55 million to support safe, affordable housing development that does not use fossil fuels, or that optimizes energy efficiency, or that generates clean electricity.
Energy Upgrade Navigator - It can be overwhelming to learn about, and to access, the many exciting incentives for clean heating, cooling and cooking equipment upgrades $3.5 million will help to connect consumers to climate-smart options both at home and at work.
Carbon Dense Forests and Rural Communities – $15 million will support the conservation of carbon-dense, structurally complex forests on state lands and fund the acquisition of additional forestland to be maintained as forests and managed for timber, rural economies, and enhanced carbon benefits .This innovative approach builds on the $83 million provided last year in the 2-year state budget.
Community Forests - $5.8 million for the Recreation and Conservation Office’s community forest program means that it is fully funded! Now the Hoquiam and Lagoon Point community forests are able to move forward, reducing carbon from the atmosphere in trees and soils, protecting clean water, and supporting local economies.
Salmon - $58 million will go toward capital budget programs across the state, such as the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program, and the Brian Abbott Fish Passage Barrier Removal Program, This will help reduce the backlog of projects.

While this year’s session is over, we’re now laser-focused on the 2024 elections and on defeating the right-wing Initiative-2117 that seeks to repeal our state’s polluter-pay law, the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). Already, this law has generated $2 billion from our state’s biggest polluters. Those dollars are funding the budget victories like those outlined above.

We simply cannot afford to lose the CCA. A repeal would be bad for our state. This law is supporting neighborhoods, communities, and Tribal nations with climate solutions that protect public health, create jobs, and will ensure a thriving Washington for generations to come. Add your name to join in the efforts to defend the CCA and stop I-2117.

Join us,

Darcy Nonemacher (she/her)
Government Affairs Director
Washington Conservation Action

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!