Week of February 25, 2008
These are the archived Hot Lists for the week of February 25, 2008. Please check this week's Hot List for the most up-to-date information.
HOUSE
SPECIAL HOT LIST ADDITION - HOUSE FLOOR ACTION
HB 3096: Financing the state route number 520 bridge replacement project.
POSITION: SUPPORT w/request for future changes to the Floor Amendment
- The state route 520 bridge is one of the most vulnerable structures in the state and in danger of failure during either a heavy windstorm or an earthquake. HB 3096 provides for strategies for financing the SR-520 bridge. We appreciate the legislature’s leadership on this high-priority safety and mobility corridor.
- We SUPPORT the bill out of committee, and applaud many of its components. The bill out of committee is a major improvement in leaving the design issues for other forums.
- We also appreciate and support many changes reflected by 3096-S AMH .... MUNN 121. However, we have one important and specific concern in the floor amendment: it needs to be clarified so that the bridge is designed for HOV travel and high-capacity transportation. “Transit” alone is a step backward from 2007’s SB 6099 (which the Legislature passed and the Governor signed into law just last year). The bridge design language should include high-capacity transportation, just as it did in SB 6099. Efficient HCT options must be incorporated on the 4+2 bridge as we plan for population growth and provide mobility choices that support our state’s climate change goals.
- We will be working closely with the House and Senate Transportation Chairs, and other key members on these changes as the bill works its way through the process.
POSSIBLE HOUSE FLOOR ACTION
2SSB 6227: Providing support and resources to outer coast marine resources committees.
Agriculture and Natural Resources: Public Hearing and Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- Marine resources committees are a bottom-up approach to addressing coastal issues, and are effective at creating local collaboration to better protect our marine resources.
- This bill will create an outer coast marine resource program that will support the work of the committees and improve our ability to collaboratively identify and address critical issues facing Washington's coastal areas.
SSB 6307: Regarding marine managed areas.
Ecology and Parks: Public Hearing and Possible Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- Develops a coordinated plan for the state’s several aquatic protection programs, under the aegis of the Puget Sound partnership.
- Calls for a strategic network of marine managed areas to help achieve the Partnership’s goal to recover the Sound to health by 2020.
SSB 6395: Protecting orca whales from the impacts from vessels.
Agriculture and Natural Resources: Public Hearing and Possible Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- This bill is a critical component in the effort to recover orca whales listed as threatened under the ESA and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
- Requires vessels to remain at least 300 feet from orcas.
2SSB 6483: Enacting the local farms-healthy kids act (a.k.a. Local Farms-Healthy Kids).
Agriculture and Natural Resources: Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- This environmental community priority will help to improve kids' nutrition and create new markets for Washington grown food by revising low-cost bidding restrictions, creating a Farm to School Program, and promoting local purchasing,
- The Local Farms-Healthy Kids Act passed the Senate with a unanimous vote and is supported by the farm bureau, schools, public health advocates, individual farmers and parents across the state.
ESSB 6580: Addressing the impacts of climate change through the growth management act (a.k.a. Local Solutions to Global Warming).
Local Government: Public Hearing & Possible Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- One of the four environmental community priorities for 2008, this bill is now supported by the Association of Washington Cities and Washington State Association of Counties. The bill has three components: directs CTED to develop a tool to inventory, measure and estimate land use related greenhouse gas emissions; creates a competitive grants program for cities and counties that choose to take immediate action; and convenes an interim taskforce to report back to the legislature on any necessary policy actions to better enable cities and counties to address climate change.
- By focusing on developing the necessary tools, this bill supports those municipalities that are taking action now while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the future. Full funding is critical to ensure local governments will have access to the tools needed to manage growth in ways that address and adapt to climate change.
SB 6777: Clarifying interests in state lands.
Finance: Public Hearing & Possible Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- Requires that, until a judgment is entered by a Washington appellate court that determines title to the sand, gravel, and rock resources in specified lands, the department shall not lease any portion of the state-owned aquatic lands that comprise the Maury Island aquatic reserve for industrial uses -Expires January 1, 2011.
- Does not prevent existing mining from continuing.
POSSIBLE HOUSE FLOOR ACTION
HB 3096: Financing the state route number 520 bridge replacement project.
POSITION: SUPPORT – but do not adopt design amendments or weakening amendments
- The state route 520 bridge is one of the most vulnerable structures in the state and in danger of failure during either a heavy windstorm or an earthquake. HB 3096 provides for strategies for financing the SR-520 bridge.
- We applaud many of the bill’s components, including potential early tolls, potential federal authorization of I 90 tolling, and a tolling implementation committee, which would seek public input on tolling and use of revenues, incentives for using transit or carpooling, and variable tolls in the corridor. The bill out of committee is a major improvement in leaving the design issues for other forums—design should remain out of this bill, and amendments that address design or weaken the bill should not be incorporated on the floor.
SENATE
SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION
S2HB 2514: Protecting orca whales from the impacts from vessels.
Natural Resources, Ocean, and Recreation Committee: Possible Public Hearing and Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- This bill is a critical component in the effort to recover orca whales listed as threatened under the ESA and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
- Requires vessels to remain at least 300 feet from orcas.
HB 2564: Adding bicyclist and pedestrian safety information to drivers' education curriculum.
Transportation: Possible Public Hearing & Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- This bill would add pedestrian safety and bicycle safety to the basic minimum curriculum for driver training. This safety legislation is named for Matthew “Tatsuo” Nakata, a former legislative assistant, who was tragically struck and killed in a marked crosswalk in 2006.
- HB 2564 is one of the priority issues for Transportation Advocacy Day 2008, held on January 29th, presented by a coalition of eleven organizations promoting transportation solutions for healthier communities.
E2SHB 2647: The children's safe products act.
Senate Water, Energy and Telecommunications Committee: Public Hearing & Possible Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- Prohibits manufacture or sale in Washington of any children's products that contain excessive amounts lead, cadmium, and phthalates, including toys, jewelry, cosmetics, and car seats intended for use by children.
- Collects information on other toxic chemicals that are present in toys and other children's products, to determine whether further action is needed. It also requires manufactures of children's products to disclose to consumers and governments toxic chemical content.
E2SHB 2703: Encouraging energy efficiency.
Water, Energy and Technology: Public Hearing & Possible Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- Directs the development of energy efficiency standards for general-purpose lighting.
- Creates a work group to address proper collection and recycling of any used general-purpose lights.
E2SHB 2815: Relating to creating a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Washington economy (a.k.a. Climate Action and Green Jobs).
Water, Energy and Telecommunications: Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- One of the four environmental community priorities for 2008 and Governor-request legislation. Key elements of the bill are mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions; accountability for reaching the pollution reduction goals adopted by the Legislature last year; design of a multi-sector, market-based system for reducing pollution that will be brought back to the Legislature in 2009; and a program to prepare Washington workers for new jobs in the clean energy economy.
- The bill declares that the state will look out for Washington’s interests in designing the market-based system, and requires that the state recommend how forestry and agriculture may receive benefits for storing carbon and we support the bill moving forward in its current form.
ESSHB 2844: Regarding Urban Forestry (a.k.a. Evergreen Cities Act).
Natural Resources Oceans & Recreation: Public Hearing and Possible Executive Action
POSITION: SUPPORT
- This bill has been negotiated with Cities, Developers and Businesses. Trees and vegetation in our cities / suburbs can save taxpayers and jurisdictions millions of dollars annually in storm water and air quality management. People shop longer and spend more money in stores surrounded by trees.
- This bill establishes a voluntary program with tools and resources necessary to help the 90% of Washington Communities that lack forest management plans. It creates “Evergreen Cities” recognition, model plans, urban forest inventory, funding, technical assistance, and incentives for cities to preserve, restore, and establish trees to maximize urban forests’ economic and environmental benefits.
HB 2878: Making 2008 transportation supplemental appropriations.
Transportation: Possible Public Hearing & Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT
- The supplemental transportation budget does a good job of prioritizing safety investments and meeting prior project commitments, despite shrinking gas tax revenues and other, unanticipated revenue shortfalls. The House committee amendments improve the budget further, and we are very appreciative of some of those modifications.
- There are several improvements for the movement of people and goods here, including funds for road safety for kids, a multimodal concurrency study, suicide barriers on the Aurora Bridge, and staffing for VMT reduction work.
