The Washington State Legislature has adjourned for the 2023 session, and our team is reflecting on some of our biggest successes, and where we can build to from here.
Our teams worked tirelessly to advance our priorities and be a voice for nature in Olympia. This year we collectively testified at 36 committee hearings, signed in on the record supporting bills 58 times, were mentioned or quoted in five news articles, published one Letter to the Editor, and hosted two lobby days at the capitol. Public advocacy efforts resulted in over 2,200 emails sent from Washingtonians to their representatives on issues that matter most to them. Our advocacy efforts are strengthened by meaningful relationships with partners, and nonpartisan pursuit of effective, science-based policy.
Meeting the Need for Climate Solutions in Biennial Budgets
Thanks to revenue from the Climate Commitment Act, the State Legislature has made a historic level of investments in climate solutions- totaling over $1 billion in the next biennium. In the coming years Washingtonians will see the impacts across many aspects of daily life- expanded clean energy generation, more vehicle and home electrification, preserving and restoring ecosystem function, increasing community resilience to growing risk of wildfire, and centering and investing in those communities most vulnerable to climate impacts.