Well, we’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy! The dust is settling from our spring advocacy efforts – many thanks to all of you who put your faith into action with Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power & Light. Before we all are swept up in summer fun, here’s an update of where things stand with our work for environmental justice in Washington State.
As we shared in Earth Ministry’s legislative recap, we are celebrating that our top two priority bills passed! The HEAL Act will implement environmental justice in state law and a Clean Fuel Standard will address pollution from our transportation sector. These are big wins for climate and communities!
However, when Governor Inslee signed the Clean Fuel Standard into law, he issued a veto of the contingency requiring passage of a transportation package before the policy could be implemented. This will speed up the timeline but also was a major compromise that made some supporters unhappy.
The Governor likewise vetoed the transportation contingency in the Climate Commitment Act, a cap and trade bill championed by some environmental organizations. Earth Ministry did not support this legislation at the request of our partners at Front and Centered, the largest coalition of communities of color-led groups in the Pacific Northwest. We encourage you to read more about why some frontline communities opposed the bill in this blog post and Front and Centered’s legislative recap.
We are incredibly disappointed that the Governor also vetoed the portion of the Climate Commitment Act requiring meaningful consultation with tribal nations. This subsection gave tribes authority to pause or halt projects found to adversely impact their cultural resources and sacred sites. These are treaty protected rights that are frequently disrespected, as seen with the Tacoma LNG facility. You can read more in this article and this press release from tribal leaders and legislators. Looking forward, Earth Ministry will follow the leadership of tribes to advocate for this provision to be reenacted.
The Governor also vetoed the Clean Cars 2030 portion of HB 1287. He stated that this was because of an amendment that tied implementation to a road usage charge. You can read more here from our partners at Coltura regarding this disappointing outcome. Earth Ministry will continue to work with our coalition partners to advocate for vehicle electrification – stay tuned for upcoming action this summer.
Around the same time as these vetoes, you may have seen media reports that Gov. Inslee and Sen. Murray oppose removing the four Lower Snake River dams to restore salmon. Their joint statement was more nuanced, calling for a “formal, regional process that is based on science, consensus, and ensuring all voices in the region are heard.” They also said, “it is critical that this process takes all options into consideration, including the potential breaching of the Lower Four Snake River Dams.”
We are short on time to recover endangered salmon and orcas. We know what we need to do, we just need the political will to do it and the funding to support infrastructure investments needed when the four lower Snake River dams come out. In late May, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians unanimously approved a resolution calling for breaching of these dams. To emphasize the urgency of this situation, Earth Ministry and our partners sent versions of this letter to Governor Inslee, Senator Murray, and President Biden. It will be imperative for all of us to hold these leaders accountable to their words and commitments.
You are not alone if you are feeling frustrated with these recent decisions made by our Governor. He has a moral responsibility to make true amends with tribal nations as well as meaningful strides on salmon recovery. Earth Ministry/WAIPL will continue to monitor the landscape of these environmental justice campaigns and will share timely action opportunities as they arise.
As always, thank you for being a faithful advocate and following these complex issues. Remember that our role as people of faith is to hold a firm moral compass and bring values into the conversation. We’ll continue to do so together as we navigate this turbulent terrain.
Best,
Jessica Zimmerle (she/her)
Program & Outreach Director
PS: You can see the outcome of all our bills on Earth Ministry’s legislative webpage.