April 20 - Hot List for the State Senate
The April 20th Hot List for the State Senate outlines important movement and potential weakening amendments on The Safe Baby Bottle Bill, as well as an update on the Efficiency First Priority and the bill to promote the use of Electric Vehicles.
SENATE FLOOR ACTION
2SHB 1481: Regarding electric vehicles.
POSITION: SUPPORT
•Passed out of the House 71-23. Promotes the use of electric vehicles through the creation of an electric infrastructure that will support the use of electric vehicles. This approach was recommended by the Governor’s Climate Advisory Team (CAT) and will spur economic development while reducing emissions.
•One element of the bill is to promote having the state motor pool switch to electric vehicles in the future and to provide electric infrastructure at all of the state owned motor pool lots.
SSB 5282: Regarding the use of bisphenol A.
POSITION: SUPPORT and OPPOSE ALL WEAKENING AMENDMENTS
•The Safe Baby Bottle bill (SSB 5282) protects children's health by banning the toxic chemical—bisphenol A (BPA)—in baby bottles and sippy cups.
•While Wal-Mart already sells BPA-free baby bottles and sippy cups, they are seeking a gutting amendment that would establish a "de-minimus level" of 3000 ppb for BPA, which would allow them to sell other allegedly "BPA-free" baby bottles and sippy cups that still contained a dangerous level of BPA. Please oppose this and other amendments that will weaken this legislation.
2SSB 5433: Local options tax provisions.
POSITION: CONCUR
•This bill provides the only new funding options for local transit systems to avoid potential massive cuts in service. Transit systems around the state are seeing double-digit ridership increases while also suffering double-digit losses in sales tax revenue.
•The bill allows King County to leverage existing local ferry district authority for Metro Transit and allows other local transit systems around the state to submit for voter approval a $20 annual license tab fee.
ESSB 5583: Improving the effectiveness of water bank and exchange provisions.
POSITION: CONCUR
•A water bank, administered through the Trust Water Rights Program, is a mechanism that provides flexibility for supplying water to instream and out-of-stream demands and protects a water right holder from relinquishment while the water is managed through the bank.
•This bill clarifies how a water bank operates and provides a consistent statewide system for managing banked water.
E2SSB 5854: Reducing climate pollution in the built environment (a.k.a. Efficiency First).
POSITION: CONCUR
•This bill has will reduce greenhouse gas pollution reduction by 30 million metric tons through 2020. Please concur with this important policy and get the bill to the Governor’s desk to sign.
