Washington legislators are in a frenzy this week, introducing and reading final legislative proposals into their respective houses by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Tuesday’s deadline is the last opportunity for legislators to pass new legislation for consideration and hearings during this session. This session, which began in January, is slated to end March 10.
Members of Washington’s House and Senate heard more than 100 bills and proposals in the past two days.
Several key environmental bills and packages have been introduced during this short session, including the Move Ahead WA package and the controversial Lorraine Loomis Act.
Move Ahead WA
Move Ahead WA encompasses several bills, including Senate bills 5974 and 5975 and House bills 2118 and 2119.
The package is designed to address maintenance backlogs on highways and bridges and increase funding for ferries. The plan includes $16 billion over 16 years for clean and sustainable transportation policies that reduce carbon emissions. The package also includes $3 billion for the preservation and maintenance of deteriorating roads and bridges across the state.
“’Move Ahead Washington’ creates a sustainable, accessible future in transportation,” said Rep. Jake Fey (D-Tacoma), the chair of the House Transportation Committee, during a virtual press conference, adding that the package includes “unprecedented” investments in transportation infrastructure.
WA Can’t Wait & the Growth Management Act
The WA Can’t Wait act is two bills, one in the Senate and one in the House. It addresses the “sprawl loophole” found in the Growth Management Act (GMA), initially enacted in 1990.
The GMA, designed to direct growth and development across the state, currently allows unnecessary sprawl and non-compliant developments to spread across farmlands, forests and natural habitats, critics say.
The Senate bill is designed to close the loophole in the GMA, while the House bill will require future development to be climate-resilient while reducing contributions to the climate crisis.
Both bills were introduced during the 2021 regular legislative session and were reintroduced this session. The Senate bill passed on Jan. 26 of this year and saw its first reading in the House on Feb. 1. Currently, it’s slated for a public hearing in the House Committee on Environment at Energy on Feb. 17. The House bill passed the House on Jan. 21, and was introduced in the Senate on Jan. 25. It’s slated for an executive session in the Senate Committee on Housing and Local Government on Feb. 17.
Targeted Electrification
Two bills making their way through committee hearings would allow public utilities to fund electrification retrofits, which private utilities are already granted.
A House bill and a Senate bill would expand clean energy opportunities to all utility customers across the state, rather than just those using a private utility provider.
Both bills, introduced at the request of Gov. Jay Inslee’s office, were pre-filed for hearings on Jan. 5. The Senate bill has been sitting in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology since Jan. 19, while the House bill was placed on second reading last week.
Lorraine Loomis Act
The Lorraine Loomis Act, a House bill and a Senate bill, was pre-filed for an introduction on Jan. 7 following a request from Inslee’s office and targets salmon recovery habitats.
The act, named after the former chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and Swinomish fisheries manager who passed away last year, calls for protected riparian zones and regulatory backstops, according to Dave Herrera, NWIFC commissioner and Skokomish Tribe policy representative.
Because the bill would require landowners to take action to protect riparian zones on their property, opponents say it would result in significant loss of farmland.
Darrin Morrison, a fourth-generation farmer from Skagit Valley, said farmers and landowners were not considered when the bill was written. “The act’s going to come at a huge loss of farmland. If we lose our farmland, we’re going to lose our local food system,” Morrison said. “You guys need red potatoes with this salmon on your dinner plate.”
More than 100 people testified during January public hearings for the bill, including tribal representatives and members of Inslee’s administration. The bill has been stalled in committee since then, and likely won’t be heard this legislative session.
