Climate Action This Week: 
  • Improving Traffic Safety
  • Accelerating Stability for People with a Work-Limiting Disability or Incapacity
  • Opposing the Industry Development of Alternative Jet Fuels
  • Activating the Trust Land Transfer
  • Reducing Plastic Pollution
  • ​​Evaluating compostable product usage in Washington
  • Opposing Nuclear Reactor Technology
  • Budget Advocacy for Heat Pumps
  • Sending a Thank You to Rep. Doglio!
If you're viewing this on a smartphone, make sure you're in your browser, and when calling or emailing, be sure to mention if you are in the Representative or Senator’s district. And, unfortunately, SurveyMonkey does not support copy and paste on mobile devices.

Question Title

* Your Information

Pick as many or as few actions as you’d like. Remember to scroll down and click the "DONE" button when you finish.

Thank you for taking action with the 350 WA Civic Action Team!
This first action must be completed this morning (Wednesday, March 8) because it's a last minute push to contact legislators to pull this bill to the floor for a vote. We think it will take about 5 minutes.
📜 1. Improving traffic safety - HB 1513

This bill reduces disproportionate impacts on communities of color and low-income people by reducing stops for low-level traffic violations that do not affect public safety. It allows law enforcement to focus on addressing real hazards such as impaired, distracted, or reckless driving. This bill creates resources for public safety programs that help people comply with the law and fix their vehicles to avoid low-level violations: repair vouchers, tail light installation workshops, helmet vouchers, fee waivers for expired tabs, etc. This solution-oriented fund ensures safer vehicles on the road, supports low-income drivers and cyclists, and fixes vehicles to improve road safety. For more information see WCPA 1-Pager; ACLU 1-Pager.

We are following the lead of ACLU, Washington Coalition for Police Accountability and Transportation Choices Coalition. 

✏️ Prefer to email? This bill really needs a push as it is still in the Rules Committee. Please click here to contact House leadership by 12:00 PM TODAY, Wednesday, March 8, and ask them to pull HB 1513 Improving Traffic Safety to the floor for a vote.

(If the above email link does not work on your device, try this. Right click on the link, select “copy email address” in the menu, then go to your email app and paste the email addresses into a new email.)

✏️ On your phone, and want to call? Just click on any phone number in the list!

If you’re calling and you reach voicemail, be sure to speak slowly and clearly and say the bill numbers.

Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-27) – (360) 786-7930 – Laurie.Jinkins@leg.wa.gov
Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon (D-34) – (360) 786-7952 – Joe.Fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov
Majority Caucus Chair Lillian Ortiz-Self (D-21) – (360) 786-7972 – Lillian.Ortiz-Self@leg.wa.gov
Majority Floor Leader Monica Jurado Stonier (D-49) – (360) 786-7872 – Monica.Stonier@leg.wa.gov

When calling or emailing, be sure to mention if you are in the Representative’s distric
📑 Script: The first sentence of your message should be “Please pull HB 1513 Improving Traffic Safety to the floor for a vote.”

Then choose from the following talking points, or feel free to write your own.
  • The horrific death of Tyre Nichols has put a national focus on just how dangerous traffic stops can be. Traffic stops for minor traffic infractions have, at their most severe, turned deadly for Black and Brown Washingtonians, like Giovonn Joseph McDade, Jenoah Donald, and Iosia Faletogo, and hundreds of others throughout the country. A traffic stop should never put someone’s life at risk.
  • Harmful fishing expeditions by law enforcement have been shown to be ineffective at uncovering crime and ineffective at reducing traffic fatalities, but have significant social and civic costs.
  • This bill limits officers' use of stops and detentions for non-moving violations as a primary offense, and specifies additional process requirements for traffic stops. It also requires written consent before an officer may search a vehicle or passengers and requires an officer to prepare a detailed report for each stop or detention. 
  • HB 1513 is a common sense solutions-based bill. This bill provides for local jurisdictions to develop pilot programs for repair vouchers, taillight installation workshops, and helmet vouchers. This legislation will also support low-income drivers, including cyclists, and improve safety for all road users.
  • Many jurisdictions, including Seattle as well as others across the country have restricted or banned traffic stops for low-level offenses. Washington should lead the way in traffic safety for all users by passing HB 1513.

Question Title

* Did you call or email for HB 1513?

  I called to support HB 1513 I emailed to support HB 1513
Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-27)
Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon (D-34)
Majority Caucus Chair Lillian Ortiz-Self (D-21)
Majority Floor Leader Monica Jurado Stonier (D-49)
All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the “DONE” button to submit your actions!
These next six actions are all committee sign-ins. We think they will take about 10-15 minutes.
📜 2. Accelerating stability for people with a work-limiting disability or incapacity - HB 1260

The Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) cash assistance program provides cash assistance, a referral to the Essential Needs and Housing (HEN) program, and help accessing federal disability benefits to eligible low-income adults who are age 65 or older, blind, or determined likely to meet federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) criteria. Currently, the state requires that people who receive ABD assistance must pay back a portion of the assistance they receive while they are waiting for their full benefits to be approached. This bill would remove the payback requirement for recipients of ABD cash assistance.

We are following the lead of the Low Income Housing Alliance on this bill.

Scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Human Services on Thursday, March 9, 8:00 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to support HB 1260 before Thursday, March 9, 7:00 AM, and select “Pro” in the position button.

✏️ Miss this deadline or have time to leave a comment? You can still sign in here, select “Pro” and leave a comment before Friday, March 10, 8:00 AM.

📑 The first sentence of the written comment should be: “I support HB 1260.”

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below, or feel free to write your own:
  • Current state law requires that people who receive assistance through the aged, blind, and disabled cash assistance program are required to pay back a portion of the assistance they receive while they are waiting for their full benefits to be approached. This is an unfair and unreasonable requirement that for decades has penalized those who are extremely low income and disabled. 
  • Often, recipients are not aware that they will have to pay back a portion of this assistance and have already used the money for rent, groceries, utilities, and medical bills. Receiving this notice of payback often forces them into a situation where they have to choose which bills to pay. 
  • The state currently collects $40 million each year in payback funds. This is a small amount for the state, but these paybacks have major consequences for the low-income people who are required to pay them.

Question Title

* Did you sign in or leave a comment for HB 1260?

📜 3. Promoting the alternative jet fuel industry in Washington - SB 5447

This bill would use Climate Commitment Act funds to provide tax credits for alternative jet fuels with lower carbon emissions than conventional jet fuel. It is designed to promote the development of the low carbon fuel industry in Washington state and is intended to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft. Unfortunately, that is an unrealistic and problematic strategy. For more detail about the problems with this approach, see the talking points below, or longer versions here and here.

We are following the lead of the 350 Seattle Aviation Team on this bill.

Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Environment & Energy on Thursday, March 9, 8:30 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to OPPOSE SB 5447 before Thursday, March 9, 7:30 AM, and select “Con” in the position button.

✏️ Miss this deadline or have time to leave a comment? You can still sign in here, select “Con” and leave a comment before Friday, March 10, 8:30 AM.

📑 The first sentence of the written comment should be: “Please OPPOSE SB 5447.”

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below, or feel free to write your own:
  • This is an industry development bill, not a climate bill, and an inappropriate use of precious CCA funds. Alternative jet fuels provide only very modest reductions in GHG emissions and do nothing for the other impacts such as noise and local pollution impacting primarily low-income communities near airports.
  • Washington taxpayers should not support refineries that will have disastrous health consequences for surrounding communities. Recent investigative reporting uncovered that refining fuel from discarded plastic causes a huge cancer risk, yet there is nothing in the bill to prevent the use of municipal waste, of which around 16% is plastic.
  • The amendment to monitor changes in air pollution around SEATAC is a good idea, but it would be best not to expose these overburdened communities to new risks in the first place.
  • By focusing on this small reduction and rewarding the aviation industry by subsidizing it, we divert attention from the need to reduce flying, and we let the aviation industry escape responsibility for the pollution it continues to cause. 
  • Bio-based jet fuels cannot scale without harmful impacts to ecosystems, harmful land use changes, or sacrificing food sources according to a new UK Study: https://royalsociety.org/-/media/policy/projects/net-zero-aviation/net-zero-aviation-fuels-policy-briefing.pdf

Question Title

* Did you sign in or leave a comment for SB 5447?

📜 4. Concerning the department of natural resources land transactions, revenue distributions, and creation and management of a trust land transfer program - HB 1460

This bill would authorize the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to activate its Trust Lands Transfer, which would support DNR in transferring underperforming public lands back to local communities and acquiring new land for working forests. This bill also helps to protect vulnerable flora and fauna by allowing counties to replace working land occupied by protected species with productive land outside their boundaries. HB 1460 will bolster rural communities, protect Washington wildlife, and help put public lands back into public hands.

We are following the lead of the Trust Lands Transfer Revitalization Group, WA State Lands Working Group, and the Center for Responsible Forestry on this bill.

Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks on Thursday, March 9, 1:30 PM.

✏️ Please sign in here to support HB 1460 before Thursday, March 9, 12:30 PM, and select “Pro” in the position button. 

✏️ Miss this deadline or have time to leave a comment? You can still sign in here, select “Pro” and leave a comment before Friday, March 10, 1:30 PM.

📑 The first sentence of the written comment should be: “I support HB 1460.”

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below, or feel free to write your own:
  • This bill provides for repurposing economically underperforming State lands for a greater public good and will improve the asset base of the State Trusts.
  • HB 1460 provides a transparent process for the creation of transfers and it will streamline the transfer process between Common Trust and State Forest land.
  • HB 1460 will bolster rural communities, protect Washington wildlife, and help put public lands back into public hands.
  • It provides a mechanism for counties to receive revenue when replacement land is not within its boundaries.
  • Please include $25 million in the Capital Budget for Trust Land Transfer. 

Question Title

* Did you sign in or leave a comment for HB 1460?

📜 5. Reducing Plastic Pollution - HB 1085

The Reducing Plastic Pollution bill will decrease unnecessary plastic by:
  1. Requiring a water bottle filling station wherever a drinking fountain is required in new buildings; 
  2. Phasing out most mini toiletries plastic packaging (including shampoos, conditioners, lotions and soaps) at hotels and other lodging establishments;
  3. Banning the most problematic foam-filled dock floats (which are a major source of plastic pollution in lakes and marine waters).
There is a critical connection between climate change and plastics. Plastics are made from oil and gas and are energy-intensive to make. The petrochemical industry plans to greatly increase plastic production to offset a decline in burning fossil fuel. We need to turn off the plastics tap, not increase the amount of plastics made! Decreasing the need to extract new resources also helps frontline communities who often bear the brunt of environmental impacts from resource extraction, refining and transportation.

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

Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on Friday, March 10, 8:00 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to support HB 1085 before Friday, March 10, 7:00 AM, and select “Pro” in the position button.

✏️ Miss this deadline or have time to leave a comment? You can still sign in here, select “Pro” and leave a comment before Saturday, March 11, 8:00 AM.

📑 The first sentence of the written comment should be: “I support HB 1085.”

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below, or feel free to write your own:
  • Washington residents, especially our kids, need easy places to refill our water bottles. By using reusable water bottles, we can each reduce greenhouse gas emissions by saving an average of 156 single use plastic bottles annually!
  • Banning the most problematic foam-filled dock floats will reduce a source of plastic pollution in lakes and marine waters.
  • Hotels, motels and other lodging businesses will save money by shifting to bulk dispensers instead of using unrecyclable mini-toiletries.
  • Plastics are energy-intensive to make and release greenhouse gas emissions at each stage of their lifecycle. 
  • There is a critical connection between climate change and plastics. Plastics are made from oil and gas, and the petrochemical industry plans to greatly increase plastic production to offset a decline in burning fossil fuel. We need to turn off the plastics tap, not increase the amount of plastics made!
  • Decreasing the need to extract new resources helps frontline communities that often bear the brunt of environmental impacts from resource extraction.

Question Title

* Did you sign in or leave a comment for HB 1085?

📜 6. ​​Evaluating compostable product usage in Washington - HB 1033

This bill will establish an advisory committee to make policy recommendations to the legislature on standards for managing compostable products at composting and other organic materials management facilities.

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

Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on Friday, March 10, 8:00 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to support HB 1033 before Friday, March 10, 7:00 AM, and select “Pro” in the position button.

✏️ Miss this deadline or have time to leave a comment? You can still sign in here, select “Pro” and leave a comment before Saturday, March 11, 8:00 AM.

📑 The first sentence of the written comment should be: “I support HB 1033.”

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below, or feel free to write your own:
  • It’s often not obvious where compostable “to-go” foodware should go when we’re done with it, and, to make it even more confusing, our compost facilities all have different rules. As we ramp up important composting efforts, this bill will reduce consumer confusion and help ensure that compost is not contaminated with non-compostable plastics. It will address the food service ware provided with “to go” orders so that the finished compost is clean and marketable. 
  • This bill will establish an advisory committee to make policy recommendations to the legislature on standards for managing compostable products at composting and other organic materials management facilities.
  • We need to get more food waste to compost facilities rather than the landfills.
  • Landfills are a huge source of methane due to organic material like food waste and yard debris. Greenhouse gas emissions decrease when food waste is composted rather than landfilled.

Question Title

* Did you sign in or leave a comment for HB 1033?

📜 7. Planning for advanced nuclear reactor technology in Washington - HB 1584

This bill amends a guiding principle for the development of the State Energy Strategy to include the consideration of the development of advanced nuclear reactor technology in Washington as a cleaner energy source. Although nuclear energy doesn’t produce greenhouse gas, it is NOT clean. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are untested for both safety and reliability. Further, nuclear energy increases the risk of nuclear proliferation and creates high-level radioactive waste which remains deadly to biological life for hundreds of thousands of years. There is still no place to safely store it. Nuclear energy is also expensive. By one estimate, it costs approximately $160/MWh rather than the $40/MWh that solar and wind cost. For further information see these false solutions.

350 WA CAT recommends this action.

Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on Friday, March 10, 8:00 AM.

✏️ Please sign in here to OPPOSE HB 1584 before Friday, March 10, 7:00 AM, and select “Con” in the position button.

✏️ Miss this deadline or have time to leave a comment? You can still sign in here, select “Con” and leave a comment before Saturday, March 11, 8:00 AM.

📑 The first sentence of the written comment should be: “Please OPPOSE HB 1584.”

Then choose 1-2 additional sentences from the options below, or feel free to write your own:
  • Nuclear energy has no place in a safe, clean, sustainable future.
  • Nuclear energy is not clean energy. Nuclear energy creates radioactive waste, and there is still no place to safely put it. High-level radioactive wastes can be deadly to biological life for hundreds of thousands of years.
  • Fusion is a long way from commercial use and small modular reactors (SMRs) are untested for both safety and reliability. We need clean energy solutions today.
  • Three Mile Island. Chernobyl. Fukushima. Hanford. We need to use technologies that do not have catastrophic consequences when errors are made.
  • Nuclear energy is expensive. By one estimate, it costs approximately $160/MWh rather than the $40/MWh that solar and wind cost.

Question Title

* Did you sign in or leave a comment for HB 1584?

All done? Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom and click the "DONE” button to submit your actions!
These last two items involve one budget advocacy item & a thank you! We think they will take about 10 minutes.
📜 8. Budget Advocacy: We need climate investments in whole-home retrofits and heat pumps.

This action is in support of a Climate Solutions’ campaign that includes budget requests for heat pump programs for low and moderate income households, schools, and small businesses.

✏️ Please click here to see the Climate Solutions’ sign-on page containing more information regarding this budget advocacy item, and to use their pre-written template/talking points to send a message to your legislators!

Question Title

* Did you message your legislators for Budget Advocacy: Heat Pumps?

📜 9. Supporting Washington's clean energy economy and transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future - HB 1589

This bill would prohibit large gas companies serving more than 500,000 customers from providing gas service to new residential and commercial customers after June 30, 2023. Among other requirements, the utility would also have to report emissions from methane leaks; produce gas decarbonization and electrification plans as part of any rate plan filing after January 1, 2026; and design programs targeted to low income and other vulnerable communities. It also contains worker protections.

We had real concerns about this bill, which is why we have featured this bill in previous alerts. House Environment Chair Doglio submitted a striker amendment, however, that resolved a lot of our concerns. That version of the bill was passed last night, so the action today is to thank Chair Doglio for listening to environmental organizations and consumer advocates and addressing our concerns in her amendment! We look forward to continued work on the bill when/if it moves over to the Senate Environment and Energy committee.

350 WA CAT recommends this action.

✏️ Please click here to email Chair Doglio to thank her for addressing our concerns in her striking amendment.

(If the above email link does not work on your device, try this. Right click on the link, select “copy email address” in the menu, then go to your email app and paste the email addresses into a new email.)

✏️ On your phone, and want to call? Just use the information below.

If you’re calling and you reach voicemail, be sure to speak slowly and clearly and say the bill numbers.

Chair Rep. Beth Doglio (D-22) – (360) 786-7940 – beth.doglio@leg.wa.gov

When calling or emailing, be sure to mention if you are in the Representative or Senator’s district!

📑 The first line should say “Thank you for listening to environmental organizations and consumer advocates around HB 1589 and addressing our concerns in your amendment.”

Then, add any of the following talking points if you would like to get into specifics of the improvements, or feel free to write your own:
  • The amendment restored power to the UTC to regulate the rate bases and protect consumers.
  • The amendment eliminated the requirement that PSE or its affiliates own 60% of the renewable energy resources while natural gas is eliminated from our energy resources.

Question Title

* Did you call or email for HB 1589?

  I called about HB 1589 I emailed about HB 1589
Chair Rep. Beth Doglio (D-22)

Question Title

* You did it! Thanks so much for your work & for participating in some new types of actions with us this week! Please let us know if you had any issues.

-- The 350 WA Civic Action Team

PS Not on the CAT email list? Sign up here!

T