Week of January 19, 2009

detailing positions on no more than ten of the highest priority issues being considered that week in the House and Senate. If you are interested in receiving pdf version of the hotlist by Monday morning of each week, please email sudha (at) wcvoters.org.

• Hot List for the State House

• Hot List for the State Senate
  

HOUSE

House Committee Action

POSITION: SUPPORT  - PLEASE PINK SLIP ONTO BILL

• One of the four environmental priorities for 2009, this bill reduces greenhouse gas emissions through land use and transportation policy changes based on the recommendations of the Land Use & Climate Change Committee and the Climate Action Team's Transportation Work Group.  

• A central component of the bill is creating a statewide framework for creating affordable, walkable communities near frequent and reliable high capacity transit.  In addition to being a priority for the environmental community, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance and State Labor Council have endorsed this transit-oriented community proposal.

HB 1004: Adding products to the energy efficiency code.
Local Government & Housing Committee: Public Hearing
POSITION: SUPPORT

• This bill adds minimum efficiency standards for certain products that are sold, offered for sale, or installed in Washington. These products are not currently covered by federal or other Washington standards.

HB 1069: Restricting light pollution.
Local Government & Housing Committee: Possible Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT

• Directing light from the sky to the street, is fairly easily to accomplish through improved lightening design and installation.

• Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) has calculated that more birds are killed by urban infrastructure than oil spills.

HB 1117:  Regarding enforcement of the requirements of chapter 77.55 RCW (Fish Habitat – HPA Permits).
Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee: Public Hearing
POSITION: SUPPORT

• The HPA permit, which protects salmon and other fish habitat, cannot be effectively enforced under current law.

• This bill would allow the state to issue new penalties and “stop work” orders for the failure to obtain a permit.

HB 1133: Modifying provisions of chapter 19.285 RCW, the energy independence act.
Technology, Energy & Communications Committee: Public Hearing
POSITION: SUPPORT

• Washington’s Initiative 937 that was passed by voters to require the state?s major utilities to diversify their electricity supply by gradually increasing the amount of new renewable resources and acquiring all cost-effective energy conservation resources.

• This bill allows modifications that are narrow in scope, and address implementation barriers. This bill maintains the law’s overall intended impact.

HB 1163: Creating incentives for the construction of improved fish passage projects.
Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee: Public Hearing
POSITION: OPPOSE

• Washington’s Initiative 937 was passed by voters to require the state’s major utilities to diversify their electricity supply by gradually increasing the amount of new renewable resources and acquiring all cost-effective energy conservation resources.  

• This bill proposes to allow existing hydroelectricity resources to be counted towards the renewable standard, which defeats the law’s purpose.

HB 1165: Providing for the safe collection and disposal of unwanted drugs from residential sources through a producer provided and funded product stewardship program.
Environmental Health Committee: Public Hearing
POSITION: SUPPORT

• Reduces risks of accidental poisonings, drug diversion, and contamination of surface and ground water by requiring drug producers to provide residents with a secure and convenient statewide program for disposing unwanted and left-over prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines.

• Budget-neutral to the State. A fee paid by drug producers recovers agency oversight costs.

HB 1172: Implementing a transfer of development rights program.
Local Government & Housing Committee: Public Hearing & Possible Executive Session
POSITION: SUPPORT

• HB 1172 is CTED agency request legislation resulting from a two year stakeholder process focused on enhancing the inter-jurisdictional transfer of development rights as a mechanism to preserve working farm and forest lands.

• The state loses an average of 23,720 acres of farmland to development annually.  This bill creates a voluntary tool to better focus growth in the central Puget Sound’s urban areas while permanently protecting the region’s rural and resource land from encroaching development.

HB 1178: Regarding enforcement of environmental permits.
Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee:  Public Hearing
POSITION: SUPPORT

• The HPA permit, which protects salmon and other fish habitat, cannot be effectively enforced under current law.

• This bill would allow the state to issue new penalties and “stop work” orders for both the failure to obtain a permit as well as failure to comply with permit conditions.

HB 1180: Regarding the use of bisphenol A.
Environmental Health Committee: Public Hearing
POSITION: SUPPORT

• The Safe Baby Bottle bill (HB 1180) protects children's health by banning the toxic chemical—bisphenol A (BPA)—in baby bottles, sippy cups and other food containers kids use. Please support this important measure.

• Safer alternatives to this chemical are widely available and already in use.  Wal-Mart, Toys ‘R’ Us, Whole Foods, and Safeway Stores have announced that they will stop stocking BPA containing products for babies. Nalgene, Camelbak, and Playtex and others have announced that they will stop making products with BPA. 

SENATE

SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION

Public Hearing

• SB 6001, passed during the 2007 legislative session, sets limits the amount of greenhouse gas pollutions emitted through electricity generation.  The law’s intent is clear, to prevent more dirty coal plants and other high emitting resources from serving Washington needs.

• This legislation fixes two technical issues that threaten to un-do the standards and allow dirty resources from out of state to be used in Washington.

Public Hearing

• Establishes a much needed program in the Department of Agriculture to help smaller livestock producers have access to local facilities to process their meat.

• By improving their ability to get product to market, this bill will promote the viability of smaller farms and improve everyone’s access to locally-grown food.