Greetings from the other Washington!

I’m checking in from DC, where I’m meeting with our friends at the DNC ahead of attending an Earth Day celebration hosted by Vice President Harris. In the spirit of the holiday, I want to highlight some of the incredible work on climate change that our Washington Democrats have accomplished recently.

In the state legislature, we’ve passed a new law that will prohibit utilities and landlords from cutting off power or water for people who are behind on their payments when a heat wave strikes. We also saw the first auction for Gov. Inslee’s signature cap-and-invest law take place last month, which brought in $300 million for the state to invest in clean energy and environmental justice projects!

The revenue from the cap-and-invest law also shows that there doesn’t need to be tension between taking action on climate and growing the economy: several of the projects funded by this first round of carbon credits will help train workers to qualify for jobs in the clean energy industry that pay a living wage. I know there’s a lot of bad news out there on this issue, but it’s important to remember that we aremaking progress towards a sustainable future in Washington state!

One final update on the assault weapons ban, which is now finally headed to the Governor’s desk for signature! The House concurred with a minor amendment from the Senate this week, crossing the final "t" and dotting the last "i" before making Washington the tenth state to ban the purchase and sale of military-style rifles. 

In other gun violence prevention news, the Senate has sent a bill to Governor Inslee’s desk that will allow victims of gun violence to hold firearm manufacturers accountable in our state courts. Congress exempted the gun industry from these kinds of lawsuits in federal court years ago, but now families of people who are harmed due to gun violence will finally get their day in court.

Finally, Governor Inslee signed a bill that repeals capital punishment in Washington state! We all know our court system isn’t perfect, and this important reform means that a mistake in a trial court will no longer cost an innocent person their life. 

Even a week later, I find myself reflecting on the warm welcomes I got from all our local Democratic volunteers during my trip through Central and Eastern Washington last week. The passion you all shared with me for improving your communities fills me with hope, and I could not be more excited to be in this work together!

Democratic chair sees big potential in rural, Eastern WA. Can they make Tri-City gains? 

As I told the Tri-City Herald, the path to long-term success in Central and Eastern Washington is delivering the message that Democrats are the ones delivering for working families in every community. Investing in rural infrastructure through the Climate Commitment Act and putting money back in folks’ pockets with the Working Families Tax Credit is exactly what people in those communities need to know Democrats are doing for them, and I know the local volunteers I met with last week will deliver that message!

How Washington plans to spend money from the new carbon-cap law | Crosscut 

Want more details on how the state will spend the $300 million generated by Gov. Inslee’s Climate Commitment Act? Check out this in-depth review by Crosscut!

This WA tax credit could give you free money. If you sign up | The Seattle Times 

A reminder to check your eligibility for the Working Families Tax Credit, and remind your friends and neighbors to do the same! You can see if you qualify for this tax credit by heading to workingfamiliescredit.wa.gov and filling in your information. 

We’re hiring!

In case you haven’t seen, we’re looking to add talent to our incredible state party staff! We’re accepting applications for Executive Director and Communications Director, so let anyone in your network who might be interested know that they are invited to apply! 

Keep in touch, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for all you do!

With gratitude, 

Chair Shasti Conrad

Washington State Democratic Party

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