|
|
Deepen
Involvement | Advocacy | State Legislation
Recent
Endorsements:
State Legislation
2008 Priorities 2007 Priorities & Other Endorsements
Each year, Earth Ministry and over 20 leading statewide organizations
working on conservation issues work together to advance four Priorities for
a Healthy Washington in the State Legislature. By focusing our collaborative
energy on just four legislative proposals, we have achieved ever-increasing
success for the health of our land, air and water.
Last year the Priorities for a Healthy Washington Coalition put forth an ambitious and focused set of Priorities, and achieved unprecedented success with passage of all four of the community’s bills: Clean Air/Clean Fuels, Save our Sound, $100 Million for Wildlife and Recreation Program and Eliminating Toxic Flame Retardants.
Great News from the Advocacy Team!
This update comes with joyful fatigue at the end of a roller coaster ride in the 2008 legislative session. All four of our environmental Priorities for a Healthy Washington passed, along with another bill that Earth Ministry worked hard for, the Children’s Safe Products Act.
- Climate Action and Green Jobs was strengthened during the legislative session by adding a transportation component; the Governor is scheduled to sign it Thursday!
- Local Farms/Healthy Kids did better than expected, with a good budget for the most comprehensive local foods bill in the country!
- Evergreen Communities has gone to the Governor, as the first step in our State to prioritize urban tree protection.
- Local Solutions avoided over 40 weakening amendments and passed with the good goal of helping local governments address climate change.
- The Children’s Safe Products Act is the strictest in the US, keeping the terrible toxins of lead, cadmium, and phthalates out of children’s toys!
Thanks to all of you for your strong support, your calls and your presence in Olympia, speaking on behalf of God’s good Creation!
Washington Climate Action
Our state has set goals to reduce global warming pollution, and now it’s
time to make these goals real. Responsible limits on climate pollution will
establish Washington as a strong leader in the clean energy economy,
increase energy independence, create good new jobs, and deliver a better
future for our children.
Local Solutions to Global Warming
This approach will help local governments make responsible plans about
where we live, how we get around, and consider how those choices can reduce
global warming pollution. With the dramatic population growth expected in
our state, we must make responsible decisions - now – so we can reduce
driving and promote efficient, livable communities.
Evergreen Cities
It is time to stop losing the trees and forests in our cities. Keeping
existing trees and planting new ones enhances quality of life for people,
increases property values and gives us cleaner water and habitat for birds
and wildlife. This proposal will help Washington’s cities be evergreen.
Local Farms - Healthy Kids
This effort addresses two major challenges facing our state: concerns
about the diet and health of our children, and the well-being of our small
and mid-sized farms. By getting more locally grown produce into our schools
and food banks, we can improve children’s health and create new and thriving
markets for our farmers.
More information will be available at www.environmentalpriorities.org as these bills are developed further.
**Legislative Update - May 2007**
We have very exciting news
to report from this year’s Washington State Legislative Session. Thanks to
your prayers, phone calls, emails, and in-person meetings with legislators
throughout the session,
we were able to pass all four of our
environmental priorities!
Great faith community support combined with a smart list of priority bills
means that real, tangible progress was made in Olympia this year.
For the fifth year in a row, the state's conservation community joined
forces via the Priorities for a Healthy Washington coalition, of which Earth
Ministry is a member. This group selects four proactive proposals to bring
to the legislature with the hope of improving the lives of people and
protecting our quality of life. The 2007 priorities will help
save Puget Sound,
eliminate
toxic flame retardants, promote
clean air and clean fuels, and invest
$100 million in wildlife and recreation programs.
All of your tremendous
effort certainly paid off this session - thank you so much!
The Priorities for a Healthy Washington represent the commonly agreed upon focused legislative proposals from over 20 of the state's leading groups working for environmental protection. For more information, click here.
Save Our Sound (falls
under the Governor’s Puget Sound agenda in HB 1024 and SB 5034)
Puget Sound’s water and wildlife are in trouble. Plagued by toxic pollution,
damaged shorelines, and destroyed habitat, the Orca, salmon, and other
species that call Puget Sound home are struggling to survive. We will work
with Governor Gregoire and the legislature to establish a new agency to take
charge of recovering the Sound to health by 2020, increase state funding
immediately to put Puget Sound on the path to recovery, and take bold new
actions this year to clean up pollution.
Eliminate Toxic Flame Retardants (HB
1024, SB 5034)
Common household products such as televisions, computer, furniture, and
carpeting needlessly expose our children to chemicals known as toxic flame
retardants or PBDEs. The 2007 bill will request the ban of penta and octa,
two forms of PBDEs, in consumer products by January 1, 2008; ban the third
form of PBDE, deca, in mattresses by January 1, 2008; phase our deca in
televisions, computers, and residential upholstered furniture by January
2011; and require the Department of Ecology to report back to the
legislature on other uses of PBDEs and to work with state agencies on
purchasing PBDE-free products.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1024
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5034&year=2007
Clean Air -- Clean Fuels (HB
1303, SB 5586)
Fossil fuel dependence takes a heavy toll on Washington’s economy,
environment, and public health. The Clean Air – Clean Fuels legislative
package includes incentives for more clean fuels and vehicles;
commercialization incentives that will enable Washington to compete
successfully for national leadership in advancing biofuel technology that
turns plant waste into fuels; and market incentives to support the
introduction of Washington-grown biodiesel crops, like Canola.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1303&year=2007
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5586&year=2007
$100 Million for the Wildlife & Recreation Program (Capital budget)
As our
population grows, our children need more places to play and fish, and
wildlife need protection from encroaching development. The proposal is to
increase funding for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP)
to $100 million dollars per biennium. In 2007-2008 alone, that increase
would fund 133 projects: $36 million towards outdoor recreation, $36 million
for habitat conservation,$19 million towards riparian protection, and $9
million for farmland conservation.
For more information, visit
www.environmentalpriorities.org.
Other Endorsements
SB 6001: Washington
State Climate Bill
**Sets targets for reducing global warming
pollution, reducing energy import costs, and increasing clean energy
jobs.
**Establishes an emissions performance standard which limits the amount
of climate pollution from new power sources and protects Washington
ratepayers from huge future costs that will be imposed on fossil fuel
power plants.
**Authorizes additional financial incentives for utilities to invest in
energy conservation.
**Allows electric utilities to continue to invest in reducing global
warming pollution.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6001&year=2007
Washington
Climate Change Challenge Executive Order
Earth Ministry Executive Director, LeeAnne Beres, was present as Washington
State Governor Christine Gregoire (center) signs the "Washington Climate
Change Challenge Executive Order". LeeAnne is pictured just behind and
to the right of the Governor.
Photo: Governor's Office, Olympia, WA, February 7, 2007.