Inslee signs transportation and climate bills he calls ‘boldest’ project in WA history
Gov. Jay Inslee made two stops in the Puget Sound region on Friday as he signed a substantial package of bills passed by the 2022 legislature aimed at tackling climate change and improving transportation.
Roger Millar, the Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation, opened the bill-signing ceremony at the Mukilteo ferry terminal in the morning. He said the legislation starts to address “critical transportation and resilience needs in the state.
Inslee also was joined by lawmakers who sponsored the legislation he signed, including Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, Rep. Alex Ramel, D-Bellingham, Rep. Davina Duerr, D-Bothell, Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, and Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-West Seattle. Misty Napeahi, the Tulalip Tribes Vice Chair-elect, also attended the bill signing.
“Isn’t it a great morning to be here to celebrate the biggest, the boldest, the cleanest and the greenest transportation and climate project in the history of Washington?” Inslee asked. “This is another step forward in revolutionizing our transportation system and revolutionizing our energy system in the state of Washington.”
In front of the ferry terminal, the governor signed several bills:
▪ Senate Bill 5722 is a piece of legislation sponsored by Nguyen and requested by Inslee’s office to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. Buildings over 20,000 square feet, including multi-family residential buildings, will be affected by the legislation. Inslee said the bill also provides “technical assistance” and funding for building owners, particularly owners in overburdened communities.
▪ House Bill 1280, sponsored by Ramel, is aimed at improving energy efficiency in public buildings by using “design strategies that reduce emissions,” according to Inslee.
▪ House bill 1663, sponsored by Duerr, will attempt to control and capture methane emissions from landfills by setting particular standards. Inslee said reducing the emissions from landfills will help the state meet greenhouse gas emission limits.
▪ House Bill 1799, a bill sponsored by Fitzgibbon, is meant to reduce the amount of organic materials sent to landfills by 2030. Those materials contribute to methane emissions by decomposing in landfills. The bill requires a separate collection of food, manure and garden waste and will provide incentives for people to use the compost in farming.
▪ Senate Bill 5842, sponsored by Sen. Reuven Carlyle, expands and updates implementation of the Climate Commitment Act, which passed during the 2021 legislative session. The CCA aims to “reduce carbon pollution and achieve the greenhouse gas limits set in state law.”
▪ Senate Bill 5974 addresses transportation resources and was sponsored by Liias. During signing, the governor referred to the bill as a “triple threat” because it is a “transportation package, a climate package and a jobs package.” He said the bill will provide jobs in the “thousands” and apply an “equity lens” to future programs. Transit funding for people with disabilities and a tribal transit grant program are included in the bill.
Later in the day, Gov. Inslee signed the $17 billion Move Ahead Washington transportation package and other pieces of climate legislation in front of the Tacoma Dome Station. He was joined by Mike Griffus, CEO of Pierce Transit, and Bill Sterud, Puyallup Tribe Chairman. Fey, Fitzgibbon and Liias again joined the governor as well.
▪ House Bill 1812 was sponsored by Fitzgibbon at the request of the governor’s office. The legislation is intended to modernize the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council by making it an agency separate from the Utilities and Transportation Committee. The governor said it will make siting and permitting energy facilities more efficient and transparent.
Inslee partially vetoed sections 19, 20, 21 and 22, which Republican lawmakers later said would have “given rural stakeholders more input and a broader long-term picture in the siting review of wind and solar projects.”
▪ House Bill 1934, sponsored by Fey at the request of the Department of Transportation, will eliminate “burdensome requirements” for tribes during exchange agreements. “Removing these restrictions will make this process more equitable, fair and respectful for tribal sovereignty,” Inslee said.
▪ House Bill 1988 was sponsored by Rep. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, at the request of the Office of Financial Management. The bill would provide tax deferrals for projects investing in sectors such as the storage of renewable energy and the manufacture of clean technology.
▪ Senate Bill 5689, sponsored by Liias also at the request of OFM, is the supplemental transportation budget bill for the 2021-23 biennium. The governor said it includes new funding for retention of ferry employees as well as funding for high-speed rail.
▪ Senate Bill 5975 was also sponsored by Liias and will determine how transportation resources will be spent. Inslee noted during signing that it will fund new electric vehicle charging stations as well as zero-emission buses. Programs such as the Safe Route to School program and the Special Needs Transit Grant program also will be funded through the legislation.
This story was originally published March 26, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
