Inslee Urges Decisive Action For 2022 State Of The State

OLYMPIA, WA — For his annual State of the State address Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee called on the Washington State Legislature to take decisive action on pressing issues like climate change, environmental protections, and the housing and homelessness crisis.

In his speech, which the governor titled “Action…this Day” in reference to Winston Churchill's first order at the start of World War II, Inslee declared 2022 a "critical year" for Washington, and one that demands sweeping changes from state legislators.

"We face a variety and dimension of demands greater than ever as we enter 2022," Inslee said. "We must take action this day to keep and strengthen our commitments to those in need right now and in the future. We must take action this day to fight the homelessness crisis; to reverse social and economic disparities; to educate our children and serve those in foster care; to fund our transportation system; and to protect our salmon and orca. We must take action, this day, to fight the threat of climate change that is now hitting us hard."

Last month, Inslee kicked off his legislative budget preview by unveiling a $626 million climate change package. The proposal would spend that money on four major goals: decarbonizing the building sector, adhering to the Climate Commitment Act, investing more in clean transportation, and building clean energy sources in Washington.

"Climate change is not merely a graph on a slide deck with an arrow pointed at calamity," Inslee said. "It’s found in the eyes of people who saw floods go through their windows in Everson; evacuees who returned to see the charred ruins of their homes in Malden; or the Colville Tribes who lost 600,000 acres of timber to wildfires."

Related to climate concerns, the governor's address also touched on the state's salmon recovery efforts. Inslee's budget would spend $187 million toward salmon recovery, by buying and preserving green corridors along rivers.

The governor also took time to tout his supplemental budget's $815 million investment in housing for Washingtonians experiencing homelessness, and called on lawmakers to remove barriers to middle housing options.

"Look, we cannot tell our constituents we are fighting homelessness and yet not provide ways to build more housing," the governor said. "That means we must allow housing that meets the realities of our tremendous population and economic growth this century. This is also a generational issue: If our children and grandchildren are ever going to afford a rent or mortgage, we need more affordable housing."

Inslee's homelessness investments would spend $334.7 million to buy and convert property into enhanced emergency shelters, which would be used to help permanently transition residents out of homelessness. His proposal also sets aside $100 million in utility assistance for low-income Washingtonians.

"All of us know that wrap-around services are critical to helping people out of long-term homelessness," the governor said. "It is fundamental that people not only get a roof over their heads but get access to such services. We must provide rapid supportive housing as soon as possible, this year."

Finally, the governor also touched on the challenges educators are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are committed to having our schools open this year, but the impacts of necessary closures linger," Inslee said. "To help make sure educators and students have what they need, I propose reinvesting $900 million to help schools address students’ critical needs."

Though the governor did not mince words about the need for drastic, decisive action in Washington, he did express optimism that the legislature could come together for transformative change.

"This may be a “short session,” but it is unlike any in our history," Inslee said. "We must act according to what this moment demands. We must be big. We must be bold. We must act at a scale commensurate to our challenges because of the multiple, urgent crises facing our state. Too much is at stake. I am confident we can do this — because I have seen the Legislature rise to the moment before."

The 60-day legislative session began Monday. It will be held largely remotely: the Washington House has committed to a fully remote session, while the Senate has adopted a hybrid remote session that severely limits the number of legislators on the floor at any given time.

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