Rep. Alex Ramel was appointed to the legislature in January of 2020. In 2022, he was elected by his colleagues to the leadership role of Majority Whip. In the past three sessions, Rep. Ramel led on legislation to:
- Create the Washington state scenic bike routes program.
- Increase energy efficiency and reduce pollution caused by public buildings.
- Coordinate planning for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
- Modernize driver’s licensing procedures.
- Advance deployment of green electrolytic hydrogen.
- Enable public electric utilities to help their customers switch to clean electric appliances.
- Create a planned, predictable and just transition away from the use of fossil fuels in buildings.
- Increase the affordability of homes built using the state’s multi-family tax exemption.
- End tax subsidies for fossil fuels.
Rep. Ramel, a single parent to his son, Alden, was called to public service to help address the climate and housing crises facing current and future generations. He has served as President of the Kulshan Community Land Trust which helps build and preserve affordable housing and he led development of the Community Energy Challenge which brings businesses, utilities, non-profits, and government together to help conserve energy, reduce costs, and create good paying jobs.
Raised near Denver, Colorado, Rep. Ramel has called Bellingham home for over 20 years. He is a graduate of Western Washington University’s College of the Environment with a B.A. in Environmental Policy and Planning.