Each year, Earth Ministry/WAIPL raises up the moral voice for environmental justice in the Washington State Legislature. We give you the tools to speak up as a faithful advocate by sharing your story with legislators in support of strong policies for environmental justice.

Earth Ministry at Washington State Capitol

This year’s “long” legislative session begins on January 9 and will go for 105 days. Public participation in the legislative process will be hybrid, which means that this is the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that there will be legislative advocacy in Olympia!

Earth Ministry/WAIPL values collaboration and our priorities are selected through participation in coalition spaces, such as the Environmental Priorities Coalition and in dialogue with partners, especially Front and Centered, who are leading the movement for environmental justice in Washington State.

Earth Ministry/WAIPL provides a wide range of opportunities for people of faith to get involved in faithful advocacy. We also teach congregational faithful advocacy trainings upon request. For more information or to get involved email emoffice@earthministry.org.

Sign up here to receive Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s weekly legislative action emails.

For more info on how to engage in the WA State Legislative Session, visit our Advocacy Tools webpage!

Top Priority Bills:

Growth Management Act (GMA) Updates

Planning for a Climate Friendly Future – HB 1181 / SB 5203

PASSED IN HOUSE

Jan 17: Public hearing in Senate Committee on Local Government, Land Use and Tribal Affairs
Jan 17: Public hearing in House Committee on Local Government
Jan 25: Executive session in House Committee on Local Government, passed out of committee
Jan 27: Referred to House Appropriations Committee
Feb 6: Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations
Feb 9: Executive session in the Senate Committee on Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs, passed out of committee
Feb 9: Executive session in the House Committee on Appropriations, passed out of committee
Feb 10: Referred to Senate Ways & Means Committee
Feb 14: Referred to House Rules Committee
Mar 1: Placed on second reading
Mar 3: Passed House, 57 yeas, 41 nays
Mar 7: First Reading in the Senate, referred to Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs
Mar 14: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs
Mar 16: Executive session in the Senate Committee on Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs – passed, referred to Ways & Means
Mar 23: Public hearing in Senate Ways & Means Committee
Apr 3: Executive session in Senate Ways & Means Committee – passed out of committee
Apr 4: Referred to Rules Committee for Second Reading
Apr 7: Passed Senate, 29 yeas, 20 nays
Apr 13: House concurred with Senate amendments, passed House with 55 yeas, 41 nays
Apr 18: Bill delivered to the Governor
May 3: Signed by the Governor, law will be effective 7/23/23

Planning for a Climate Friendly Future requires the largest and fastest-growing counties and cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled through land use planning. It requires all counties planning under the Growth Management Act (GMA) to plan for resilience and to address the impacts of climate change in land use plans. In addition, it updates the transportation element of the GMA by incorporating transit and bike/pedestrian planning. This bill is a priority of the Environmental Priorities Coalition.

Environmental Justice in the Growth Management Act – HB 1723 / SB 5651
DIDN’T PASS

Feb 7: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs.
Feb 14: 10:30 am public hearing in the House Committee on Local Government
Feb 16: 10:30 am executive session in the Senate Committee on Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs
Feb 17: Referred to Ways & Means
Feb 22: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Feb 24: Executive session in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means – no action was taken

Building on HEAL Act requirements on state agencies, this bill will require that both environmental justice and climate change are explicitly addressed in local comprehensive planning with specific goals, progress reports, and measures to reduce impacts and disparities. Also includes better, more equitable public participation requirements and funding.

This amendment is separate from the GMA climate bill because it is important to ensure that overburdened communities and vulnerable populations as related to climate change are specifically considered in comprehensive plans as a priority, not as an afterthought or sacrifice. This GMA update is led by Front and Centered.

Identify, plan for, and address environmental health disparities
Identify overburdened communities and vulnerable populations in their area
Develop objectives, timelines, policies, goals, measures that reduce environmental harms and create environmental benefits through regulations, decisions on siting and permitting, resource allocation, enforcement, and monitoring and reporting
Target resources to support the participation of overburdened communities and vulnerable populations, including community-based organizations

Climate and Environmental Justice in the GMA – Front and Centere d

Washington Recycling and Packaging Act (WRAP Act) – HB 1131 / SB 5154 – DIDN’T PASS

Jan 17: Public hearing, Senate Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology
Jan 17: Public hearing, House Committee on Environment & Energy
Jan 18: Public hearing, Senate Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology
Feb 2: Executive session in House Committee on Environment & Energy – passed out of committee
Feb 3: Executive session in Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology – passed out of committee
Feb 7: Referred to House Appropriations Committee
Feb 7: Referred to Senate Ways & Means Committee
Feb 15: Public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee
Feb 23: Executive action taken in the House Appropriations Committee – passed out of committee
Feb 24: Referred to House Rules Committee
Mar 2: Placed on second reading

All across Washington, plastic waste litters Washington’s shorelines and waterways, filling landfills to capacity, and harming wildlife. Our recycling system needs to be modernized so packaging can actually be recycled, composted, or reused.

This act addresses waste by creating a set of graduated fees on packaging manufacturers based on how readily reusable, compostable, or recyclable their products are. These fees will be used to fund improvements in infrastructure, provide uniform access for residents across the state, and create a clear list of what people can recycle. This bill will have the added benefit of shifting recycling costs away from ratepayers and onto manufacturers. Under a producer responsibility program, manufacturers and brands will come together to reduce unnecessary packaging and paper, fund statewide recycling services, and ensure that materials are actually recycled. The WRAP Act is a priority of the Environmental Priorities Coalition.

WRAP Act Factsheet – Zero Waste Washington

Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act – HB 1047 -PASSED

Jan 9: Public hearing in House Committee on Environment and Energy
Jan 26: Executive session in the House Committee on Environment & Energy, passed out of committee
Jan 27: Referred to House Appropriations Committee
Feb 6: Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations
Feb 9: Executive session in House Committee on Appropriations, passed out of committee
Feb 14: Referred to House Rules Committee
Feb 28: Placed on second reading.
Mar 1: Passed House, 55 yeas, 41 nays
Mar 3: First reading in the Senate, referred to Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee
Mar 14: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology
Mar 21: Executive session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology, passed out of committee, referred to Ways & Means
Mar 28: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Apr 4: Executive session in Senate Committee on Ways & Means – passed to Rules Committee for second reading
Apr 8: Passed Senate, 28 yeas, 20 nays
Apr 14: House concurred with Senate amendments, passed House with 56 yeas and 40 nays
Apr 19: Bill delivered to the Governor

Thousands of cosmetics and personal care products are used by people every day and, unfortunately, the chemicals used to make them are largely unregulated with many linked to cancer as well as developmental and reproductive harm. This reality is an environmental justice concern as products marketed and applied by women of color are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals in the workplace, their communities, and from cosmetics. Besides potentially harming the person using the product, products with these toxic ingredients can also cause larger-scale pollution problems during manufacturing and after disposal.

The Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act will…

Ban hazardous chemicals, including PFAS, phthalates, formaldehyde, and lead in cosmetics by 2025
Fill important gaps in information on the hazards of chemicals used in cosmetics
Provide incentives for small businesses to make safer cosmetics

Toxic Free Cosmetics Act 2023 – Toxic Free Future

Additional Policies Earth Ministry/WAIPL Supports:

Lower Snake River Salmon Recovery -PASSED

Restoring the Lower Snake River is the cornerstone of a regional salmon recovery strategy. By taking these actions during the 2023 legislative session, WA State can lead efforts to recover endangered Lower Snake River salmon and steelhead, invest in transportation, agriculture, and clean energy infrastructure, address decades-long salmon recovery litigation, honor promises to Tribal Nations, feed hungry orcas, and enhance economic opportunities for every corner of our state – farmers and fishermen, Tribes, and local communities.

Earth Ministry/WAIPL is supporting these budget priorities as members of the NW Salmon Restoration Campaign. Investing in salmon habitat is also a priority of the Environmental Priorities Coalition.

Transportation Study: Secure at least $5 million in funding for a Department of Transportation study to determine transportation alternatives to barging on the lower Snake waterway. This should include a timeline of repairs, upgrades, and investments for rail and roads that minimizes disruption and offers cost effective options to grain and fertilizer transport while ensuring a timeline of completion that avoids extinction of salmon.

LSRD Energy Plan: Secure at least $5 million in funding to analyze new electrical generation and transmission for lower Snake River dam removal and develop a detailed replacement plan. This plan would lay out how to maintain the reliability and adequacy of the existing electrical power system, will be consistent with the Clean Energy Transformation Act, and can replace fossil fuels currently used in the transportation, industry and buildings sectors.

Irrigation Analysis: Secure at least $500,000 in funding for the Department of Ecology to conduct an Irrigation Analysis focused on determining irrigation water availability during lower Snake River dam removal (drawdown), and the infrastructure needs of farms after drawdown is complete.

NW Salmon Restoration Campaign 2023 Legislative Priorities Factsheet

Investing in Salmon Habitat – Environmental Priorities Coalition

Investing in Climate Action

The climate crisis means we need to cut pollution fast and while investing wisely to expand clean energy solutions as quickly as possible. In early 2023, Washington State will begin generating revenue from The Climate Commitment Act, our comprehensive, economy-wide carbon reduction program. Our Legislature must make smart investments in climate solutions that cut pollution and transition communities to a clean and equitable economy at the speed and the scale required to align with climate science.

This session, the Legislature will start making the largest investments in clean energy, air quality, natural resource resiliency, and benefits to tribal nations and overburdened communities in state history. It is critical for our legislators to invest these funds equitably and strategically to provide the greatest benefits to all Washington residents. This budget priority has been selected as a focus for the Environmental Priorities Coalition and Earth Ministry/WAIPL is also following the lead of Front and Centered who are advocating for community-centered solutions rooted in justice.

Climate Investments Agenda – Front and Centered

Climate Commitment Act Spending – Environmental Priorities Coalition

Preventing High Heat Disconnections –
HB 1329 / SB 5366 PASSED

Jan 23: Public hearing in House Committee on Environment and Energy
Jan 26: Public hearing in the House Committee on Environment & Energy
Jan 31: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology
Feb 9: Executive session in the House Committee on Environment & Energy, passed out of committee
Feb 10: Executive session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology, passed out of committee
Feb 13: House bill referred to House Rules Committee, Senate bill referred to Senate Rules Committee
Feb 22: House bill placed on second reading by Rules Committee
Feb 27: Passed House, 64 yeas, 31 nays
Mar 1: First reading in the Senate, referred to Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee
Mar 21: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology
Mar 28: Executive session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology, passed out of committee
Mar 29: Passed to Senate Rules Committee for second reading
Apr 10: Passed Senate, 29 yeas, 20 nays
Apr 14: Delivered to the Governor
Apr 20: Signed by the Governor, law will be effective 07/23/23

The Attorney General’s office has announced they will request a bill to prohibit water and energy utility disconnections during days expected to have very high temperatures, and reconnect customers who have been previously disconnected during these high-heat events. This bill is a priority of the NW Energy Coalition.

Energy Assistance Trust – DIDN’T PASS

Front and Centered is leading this effort to ensure a universal right to energy access and affordability, no matter our utility district, that is supported by a statewide Energy Assistance Trust. This trust would be a permanent, independent organization that collects and analyzes critical energy consumer and provider data to gauge needs relative to services, offers technical assistance and capacity to support providers in meeting their obligations, and provides program participation assistance for eligible households.

Energy Assistance Trust for Washington State – Front and Centered

Buy Clean, Buy Fair – HB 1282 / SB 5322
DIDN’T PASS

Jan 31: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections
Feb 2: Public hearing in the House Committee on Capital Budget
Feb 10: Executive session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology, passed out of committee
Feb 10: Senate Bill referred to Senate Ways & Means Committee
Feb 16: Scheduled for 1:30pm executive session in the House Committee on Capital Budget
Feb 17: House bill referred to House Rules Committee.
Feb 22: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Feb 24: Executive session in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means – no action taken
Mar 2: House Bill placed on second reading
Mar 8: Passed the House with 57 yeas and 40 nays
Mar 10: First reading, referred to Environment, Energy & Technology
Mar 15: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology
Mar 21: Executive session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology – passed with amendments and referred to Ways & Means
Mar 28: Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Apr 4: Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means – no action taken

Earth Ministry/WAIPL has supported this legislation in 2022 and 2020, and we are happy to support it again! The Buy Clean and Buy Fair Washington Act is a reporting-only bill that establishes reporting requirements on the carbon content and working conditions of building materials purchased for large state-funded building projects. This harnesses existing state spending to incentivize manufacturers to produce lower-carbon products and grow high-wage manufacturing jobs. If passed, the state and other entities buying building materials would have a publicly available resource to make climate-smart purchasing decisions while also supporting workers and communities. This legislation is led by the Washington BlueGreen Alliance.