Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We’re over halfway through the 2022 legislative session! With the first set of legislative cutoffs behind us, we head to the House Floor for a flurry of activity over the next week. You can tune in on TVW.org to follow along at home.
Key Legislative Priority: Protecting our Environment
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As a proud member of the House Environment & Energy Committee, I’m focused on preserving Washington’s most precious natural resources and urgently addressing climate change. I’m excited to be a champion of these priority bills:
- House Bill 1663: Methane is over 80x more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas in the first 20 years after it’s released — and our state’s landfills are one of the largest sources. This bill would require landfills to capture methane before it is released into the atmosphere.
- House Bills 1767 & 1770: Our homes and buildings are now responsible for 25% of Washington’s greenhouse gas pollution, and most of that comes from burning fossil fuels like ‘natural’ gas. I’m proud to cosponsor these two bills as part of a package to make the transition to safe, clean, sustainable electricity.
- House Bill 1619: As Washington moves to an increasingly clean, sustainable, and reliable energy grid, we want to make sure that we’re using that energy as efficiently as possible. This bill would expand energy efficient standards to a greater number of household appliances to further reduce environmental impact.
- House Bill 1694: Toxic PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ can be found in many of the stain & water-resistant consumer products we use every day, including our clothing, carpeting, household furniture, cosmetics and more. Over time, these toxic compounds can lead to cancer, high blood pressure, and decreased vaccine response in children. I’m proud to sponsor this bill to accelerate our state’s efforts to eliminate PFAS chemicals.
Legislative Cutoffs Update
With thousands of bills introduced each session, the Legislature relies on legislative cutoffs — milestones bills must reach by certain dates — to ensure each one we pass is given the attention and consideration it deserves. While I can’t guarantee they’ll all be signed into law this year, here are my bills that are still in play after the first set of cutoffs.
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Constituent Corner
Thank you to everyone who has contacted me this session! I truly love hearing from you. Our office receives hundreds of emails and calls each week and we are doing our best to respond to every one of them. We will keep this section up to date with popular topics you are reaching out about.
This week’s topic is: Housing Density, and the Homes for WA Act (HB 1782).
 I remain laser-focused on fighting for affordable, stable housing and believe density is critical for achieving this goal. Washington is experiencing a housing crisis due to an estimated shortage of 225,000 homes. It is time we lift the bans on building “middle-housing” like duplexes, rowhomes and courtyard apartments statewide. I am proud to live in Lower Queen Anne where single family homes sit next to multifamily complexes and apartment buildings.
I have heard from many of you about House Bill 1782, the Homes for WA Act, which would expand middle-housing options near mass transit stops. Please know I hear your feedback and believe adopting walkable, eco-friendly, transit-centered community plans are vital to addressing both our climate and affordability crises. I will be sure to keep you up to date as the bill moves through the legislature. |
Thank you to the many constituents who tuned into last week’s 36th District Virtual Town Hall. In case you missed it, you can watch the recording here.
It is an honor to represent you in Olympia. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me anytime if I can be of assistance at liz.berry@leg.wa.gov.
Best wishes,
State Representative Liz Berry
36th Legislative District