![\"\"](\"https:\/\/earthministry.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/IMG_8072.jpg\")
<\/a>We know that much is weighing on your heart and mind in these days filled with public health precautions. We continue to hold in our prayers those who are sick or at high risk, our health care responders, everyone at home feeling anxious, and our entire community feeling the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the faith community, we pray and continue to respond with love and care for our neighbors, a spiritual practice so needed in these uncertain times.<\/p>\nAt Earth Ministry, we also continue to look outward toward the health and wellbeing\u00a0of all creation. Today marks the last day of the Washington State Legislative Session, and we invite you to pause and celebrate the strong\u00a0environmental bills we have passed together.<\/p>\n
Bills that Passed!<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0The Climate Pollution Limits Act (HB 2311)<\/strong>\u00a0will update the state\u2019s greenhouse gas limits to reflect current science and lay groundwork to reach net zero carbon emissions and beyond.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0The Safer Firefighting Foam Act (HB 2265)<\/strong>\u00a0will remove exemptions for oil refineries and chemical plants previously in Washington’s first-in-the-nation-ban of firefighting foam containing toxic PFAS chemicals.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0The Reusable Bag Act\u00a0(SB 5323)\u00a0<\/strong>will\u00a0eliminate thin carry-home plastic bags at all retail establishments to\u00a0help Washington address a growing recycling crisis.<\/p>\n 2020 was a short legislative\u00a0session, bills only had 8 weeks to move through many hoops! These\u00a0bills got stalled along the way:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Clean Fuels Now (HB 1110)<\/strong>\u00a0would reduce pollution of transportation fuels.\u00a0While we are disappointed that this\u00a0top priority did not pass, we will plan to pick up this important policy for climate justice as part of a transportation package in the longer session next year.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Clean Air Act Update (HB 2898\/SB 6628)\u00a0<\/strong>would\u00a0enable\u00a0regulation of\u00a0greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuel sellers and distributors.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Healthy Habitat\/Healthy Orcas (HB 2550)\u00a0<\/strong>would set\u00a0a new standard, net ecological gain, to protect and restore orca habitat.
\n*While HB 2550 did not pass this year, language in the House budget will fund a study on net ecological gain to consider applying it to state environmental laws. This is an important step forward and lays groundwork to hopefully pass HB 2550 next year.<\/em><\/p>\n