Advocacy Call To Action: Say Yes to Energy Choice!
A broad coalition is collecting signatures to place I-2066 on the November ballot to protect natural gas as an energy choice, ensure energy stability and security, and prohibit natural gas bans in Washington.
The Problem: Recent actions by the Washington State Legislature have put in jeopardy the safety, comfort, and security of residents throughout the state. The unrelenting effort to ban natural gas will expose Washingtonians to the risk of becoming victims of the very thing these efforts are supposed to prevent. Banning natural gas removes a reliable and efficient source for warmth, for specialized ways of preparing cultural cuisine, and for simply providing hot water. When the extreme whether events that proponents say are coming do happen, Washington residents are at risk of truly being left in the cold. The facts of the matter are that the push for full electrification without first recognizing that we need to build out the infrastructure and capacity to get there will create a state of emergency of our own making. Energy companies will struggle to keep the heat on, and we could then expect power failures and blackouts that put all our neighbors at risk. This would create an especially dyer situation for the most vulnerable citizens of our state, and for some of the more rural areas that struggle to maintain services with minimal resources compared to population hubs like Seattle or Olympia. We know the outlook seems somewhat apocalyptic, but not all is lost.
Here is what you can do:
Support the efforts to get I-2066 on the November ballot by,
- Signing one of the many petitions available at locations across the state.
- Take a few blank petitions of your own and gather signatures from everyone you know that is a registered voter in the state (including family, friends, co-workers, etc.).
- Encourage others to gather signatures by presenting petitions to all your local social groups, volunteer groups, and others.
Olympia Master Builders is a participating location where you can sign petitions, request petitions, and more.
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Go to https://www.protectenergychoice.com/ to find all the valuable information on how you can protect energy choice!
Comprehensive plans are up for review throughout many of our jurisdictions.
What is a comprehensive plan?
Comprehensive plans are a requirement under the Growth Management Act (adopted by the legislature in 1990). These plans are useful in helping local communities plan for everything from population growth to natural resource management and preservation projected over a 20-year period. Topics addressed under these plans could include:
- Land Use.
- Natural Resource Lands.
- Housing.
- Transportation.
- Capital Facilities and Utilities.
- Economic Development.
- Environment, Recreation, and Open Space.
- Archaeological and Historic Resources.
- Health.
…and more.
There are required chapters, as well as chapters chosen at the discretion of local councils and commissions. Each chapter is typically addressed individually, and the process is finalized after all chapters are put together in the final plan. This process often takes more than a year.
Most importantly, you can only update these plans every ten years.
So now is the time to get involved!
You can find timelines, draft chapters, and more for most jurisdictions on their city/county websites. A few of the more familiar communities are:
- Thurston County: Thurston 2045
- Mason County: Mason County 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update
- Lewis County: Lewis County 2045
- City of Olympia: Engage Olympia
- City of Lacey: Lacey Comprehensive Planning
- City of Tumwater: Tumwater Comprehensive Plan
- City of Centralia: Centralia Comprehensive Plan Update
For additional jurisdictions, refer to their individual websites.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU:
Comprehensive Planning at jurisdictions will impact your ability to do business for the next 20 years. Plans impact policy around economy, land use, zoning, housing and more. They often determine the path forward for what is deemed critical areas worth protecting from development, and where development should be focused. The overarching goal of the comprehensive plan is to place local control over local priorities. These plans are only available to update and edit every 10 years, and now is your time to determine what you want your community to look like shifting toward 2045, and to ensure that affordable housing for all economic segments of society is a priority.
For more information, please contact OMB Government Affairs Director, Jessie Simmons, at ga@omb.org or (360)754-0912 ext. 102.