However, it’s not too late to let Washington lawmakers know they should restore the bill to its original intention.
Last night the Senate Ways and Means committee advanced House Bill 1099, but, as they did, they gutted much of the climate-focused bill. Earlier versions had aimed to add a climate element to local Comprehensive Plans required under the Growth Management Act (GMA). However, an amendment proposed by Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D – 24th Legislative District, Sequim) removes many references to climate change, as well as the climate change mitigation goal added to the state’s GMA. Van De Wege also opposed HB 1099 and the Climate Commitment Act last year.
The amendment creates a significant discrepancy between the Senate’s current version of the bill and the bill passed earlier by the House. Instead the revised bill subs in the term “environmental resilience,” significantly changing the bill’s aims.
Advocates led by Futurewise pushed for HB 1099’s passage through their multi-year Washington Can’t Wait campaign, which seeks to update the GMA so it better promotes action on climate change, environmental justice, and housing equity, are frustrated by the change and urging residents to reach out to their elected representatives with the request to remove the amendment before tomorrow’s 10am (March 3rd) deadline.
“This is an unexpected and, quite frankly, infuriating development, especially in light of the IPCC report released this week, which makes it clear that to address the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, we need to be planning for both climate change resilience and mitigation,” wrote Jamie Ptacek, Futurewise’s lead field organizer, in an email. “It is short-sighted to think we can tackle climate change by addressing resiliency without considering the human contributions to the crisis.”
Futurewise’s lobbyist and former policy director Bryce Yadon is concerned that without inclusion of the climate change mitigation goal and references to climate change, the bill will be only be half as effective as it’s intended to be.
“With this change to the bill, they are basically saying we can’t walk and chew gum at the same time,” Yadon said.
