We just had a historic day on climate action in Washington. This past Thursday, our state Senate—as in our nation's capitol, the harder of the two legislative chambers to motivate towards strong action—passed two very significant pieces of climate legislation for the first time ever. After a long debate, they passed the Climate Commitment Act, a powerful bill that caps carbon pollution and invests in solutions. This vote followed more than a decade of attempts to cap or price pollution in one form or another.
Later that night they also passed the Clean Fuel Standard, a critical and long-overdue policy that reduces carbon pollution from transportation. If our Legislature now finalizes and enacts a strong standard, it will be the most significant action our state has ever taken to cut vehicle pollution.
Amazing and diverse coalitions helped get both of these closer to the finish line. It is a day worthy of celebration and recognition of the hard work, persistence and perseverance to get to this place.
And the work is not yet done! Both chambers have passed the Clean Fuel Standard but in different forms, so now representatives and senators will need to iron out the differences and make the bill stronger. The House of Representatives will now take up the Climate Commitment Act.
Can you contact your senator now to ask them to support a strong Clean Fuel Standard?
The legislative session is scheduled to end in a few short weeks on April 25th. We have two weeks to get these two bills, along with a clean and just transportation package and the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act, all the way through to Governor Inslee’s desk. We are within reach of concluding a truly historic session in Washington.
So much progress... and so much more work to turn the promise of strong action into the law of the land. Bybringing this legislative session to a strong finish, we can win cleaner choices for how we get around. Please take a minute and help close the deal.
