What happened in 2009 in WA?

Caring for the Environment and Promoting Sustainable Agriculture

2009 Legislative Agenda

#1. Maintain Local Farms/Healthy Kids Programs
LFHK (Local Farms Healthy Kids) critical program funding was maintained:  WSDA (Washington State Dept. of Agriculture) Farm to Cafeteria director and the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable program at OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) was only cut in half from $1.2M to $600K.  LPPO was a key leader in this as well as its partners – Good Food Coalition and the WSFFN (Washington State Farming & Food Network).

#2. Support the Environmental Priorities Coalition:

  1. Cap GHGs (Greenhouse Gas Emissions) and Invest in Green Economy
    Cap & Invest bill (SB 5735) did not pass after many, many negotiations.  However, the governor signed executive order 09-05 on May 21st at the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) hearing, which carries out much of what the environmental advocates were working for in SB 5735.
  2. Energy-Efficient Buildings
    Efficiency First bill passed.  This was the only one of four legislative priorities of the Environmental Priorities Coalition that LPPO is a part of that passed.  This will now establish energy efficiency standards in public buildings.
  3. Transit-oriented Communities
    The Transit Oriented Communities bill did not pass.
  4. Invest in Clean Water
    The Invest in Clean Water bill after much diligent hard work by the Washington Environmental Council’s lobbyist (Mo McBroom) failed to get to the governor’s desk.  This is an important polluter pays legislation that LPPO supported.  The focus was on storm water runoff pollution.