Oh my goodness, but we do have a lot of work coming up in this legislative session! It's a long session that begins January 9, 2023, and the last day of session is April 24, 2023.
I've gathered together some of the information on our partners' legislative priorities this year as well as some dates for advocacy days and training opportunities. This is, by no means a complete list, and as the other groups we look to get their information out, we'll be passing it on.
If anyone out there is interested, we do need to have some folks monitoring what's happening on a Federal level. Anyone interested, please contact me!
JUUstice Washington Legislative 2023 Priorities
JUUstice Washington will be holding its annual JUUstice Washington towards the end of January (we've not settled on a date yet) and is actively engaged with supporting partners and allies on a variety of justice efforts that will include State legislation. Top issues so far are listed below. If there's something else we should be considering, please let me know. We'll be gearing up our TAN page (Take Action Network) and will need to know what legislation you and your supporters will be working for.
- Breaching the Lower Snake River dams
- Police Accountability including the Traffic Safety for All Act
- Salmon Recovery
- Environmental Justice and Climate issues of frontline communities
- Climate and the Growth Management Act
- Preserving Old Growth and Legacy Forests
- Southern Resident Orca Preservation and Restoration
Below are some of the priorities of some of our partners and allies.
Environmental Priorities Coalition – Environmental Justice
https://wecprotects.org/our-work/areas-of-work/environmental-priorities-coalition/
- Investing in Salmon Habitat: Salmon runs continue to dwindle throughout the state – across the Columbia Basin, throughout southwest Washington, and around the Puget Sound region.
- 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.
- Planning for a Climate Friendly Future: Requires the largest and fastest-growing counties and cities within them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled through land use planning.
- Washington Recycling And Packaging Act (The WRAP Act): All across Washington, plastic waste litters Washington’s shorelines and waterways, filling landfills to capacity, and harming wildlife.
Bills to Watch webpage (not updated as yet): https://wecprotects.org/our-work/areas-of-work/environmental-priorities-coalition-3/bills-to-watch/
Washington Coalition for Police Accountability – Racial Justice
https://www.washingtoncoalitionforpoliceaccountability.com/2023-priorities
- Independent Prosecutor: We need an independent prosecutor to make the charging decisions for police use of deadly force. The caseload from this office needs to be handled by an state independent prosecutor separate from the 39 county prosecutors.
- Traffic Safety for All (Traffic Stops): Ending traffic stops for non-moving violations will increase safety for the public and officers. It will increase equity and is a solution for the disproportionate stops involving Black, Latino, Native American, and Pacific Islander drivers.
- AGO Patterns & Practices Authority: This grants authority to the state attorney general to do investigations of agencies where there is an alleged pattern and practice of violating the civil and constitutional rights of persons. This state-level authority would complement the US. DOJ authority and will promote a basic level of quality policing across the state.
- Civil Right of Action: For families and survivors of police misconduct. Currently there is a gap in what type of remedy and relief can be brought to state court and this proposal authorizes civil suits for violations of state constitutional rights for police misconduct.
Faith Action Network Lobby Days: Economic Justice
https://fanwa.org
Olympia-February 9, 2023, Eastern Washington January 21, 2023
Our attention now turns to preparations for the 2023 Legislative Session, and our legislative agenda is being finalized for approval by FAN’s Governing Board this month. We will release it to you very soon! There will be some continuation of bills we’ve worked on previously, and some new initiatives. Stay tuned!
Pre-legislative trainings
- Thursday, January 5, 6-7pm, online, FAN 2023 Legislative Preview, an overview of what to expect this session and FAN’s legislative agenda. Register for Zoom link here.
- Sunday, January 8, 2-3pm, online, FAN Advocacy 101, presenting advocacy tools to use during the session. Register for Zoom link here.
Save our Wild Salmon – Breaching the Snake River Dams
(Link to be provided a little later)
Govenor Inslee has made the breaching of the dams a top priority for the WA Legislature (https://ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/budget/statebudget/highlights/budget23/08-Salmon.pdf)
To make real progress to replace the services of the four lower Snake River dams, restore abundant wild salmon and steelhead populations, and preserve the irreplaceable ecological, economic, and cultural benefits they provide, during the upcoming 2023 Washington state legislative session, we recommend the following state-level policy and actions:
- Interagency Workgroup: Secure at least $200,000 in funding (for staff and/or contractor expenses) to establish a Snake River Interagency Workgroup composed of senior level staff and state agency leaders to coordinate, plan, and implement actions the State can take to support the replacement of lower Snake River services in consultation with Tribes, federal agencies, NW State partners, and stakeholders.
- Transportation Study: Secure at least $5 million in funding for a detailed Washington State Department of Transportation study to determine transportation alternatives to barging on the lower Snake waterway.
- Irrigation Analysis: Secure at least $500,000 in funding for the Washington State 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.
- Tribal Justice and Coordination: Ensure that the priorities of Northwest Tribes and opportunities for them are reflected in energy siting proposals, salmon recovery management and investments, and all lower Snake River dam removal infrastructure replacement processes.
- Salmon Recovery Funding: Identify and secure targeted state (and federal) investments for salmon recovery and habitat projects to improve conditions for salmon across Washington State.
- New Green Power from State Agency Customers: Secure at least $150,000 for the Department of Commerce to conduct a survey of all state energy load served in part by utilities that purchase Columbia River System hydropower, to identify the size of the load and the utility provider. Washington State should use its purchasing power as a utility customer to call for “Green Power tariff” from the public power utilities that serve them, to develop new non-hydro renewable electricity and storage resources.
WA Sierra Club-Environmental Justice
https://www.sierraclub.org/washington/2023-legislative-agenda
- Building Abundant, Affordable Housing: Washington is in a statewide housing crisis. Outdated land use policies that restrict the types and quantity of housing in urban areas are driving sprawl, boosting climate pollution, and displacement of low-income residents and communities of color - while keeping homes unaffordable to most.
- Protecting Instream Flows for Salmon: Due to rapid climate change, Washington State is facing historically low levels for instream flows crucial to keeping streams cool and allowing fish upstream to spawn. We anticipate adverse legislation pushed by rural developers that would weaken these requirements - having devastating effects on not only salmon, but also farmers, recreational fishers, local tribes, and more.
- Preserving Mature Forests:
To stem the rapid loss of natural places and wildlife, more land and ocean habitat must be set aside from human impact. This year, we are working to secure $25M in the state budget for the Trust Land Transfer program, which - through local groups and volunteer leaders - identifies and nominates state lands for transfer of management to different agencies. - Restoring Endangered Salmon and Orca:
Funding for Studies of the Lower Snake River. Scientists and key public officials agree – removing the four lower Snake River dams is the best opportunity on the west coast to recover abundant salmon. We need funding in the 2023-2024 state budget to supplement recent federal funding to move this process along.
Earth Ministry
earthministry.org
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