“This bill says loud and clear that Washington must lead on climate,” said Becky Kelley, President of Washington Environmental Council. “Representative Fitzgibbon and our state House have made a powerful statement on where they stand. While we know we need to do more to address pollution, HB 1144 sets improved targets for our state. Now our state has the chance to take meaningful action to put a price on pollution and invest in equitable and effective solutions to transition to a clean energy economy. The Senate has a chance to do just that by strengthening and passing the Governor’s climate bill (SSB 6203).”
February 15th – Yesterday, as the final bill passed before cutoff, the House passed HB 1144. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, strengthens the state’s climate pollution reduction targets and evaluation tools with the goal of protecting Washingtonians’ health and reducing pollution that damages our climate. The bill’s passage comes less than 24 hours after former Secretary of State John Kerry, chief architect of the Paris Climate Agreement, visited Washington’s legislature to discuss state leadership to address climate pollution. The bill passed along party lines with a 50 to 48 vote.