What’s next after Initiative 2066 wins in Washington State?

Two key Washington State ballot races in this month’s election were Initiative 2117 and Initiative 2066, both of which were opposed by advocates for healthy and safe buildings and climate.

Initiative 2117, which would have rolled back the Climate Commitment Act and the funding for many climate and environmental justice programs in the state, was soundly defeated.

Initiative 2066, which challenges local and state authority to encourage a transition to renewable energy, unfortunately squeaked by with a victory. The race was too close to call for days and had the largest undervote of any statewide measure.

Given this split outcome, what are the next steps for the people of Washington who care about these issues?

Initiative 2066 is an attempt to roll back progress for communities and climate. Period.

A few years ago, with help from people like you, SAFE Cities supported development and passage of local policies in Washington to mandate more efficient energy use and less pollution for new buildings. That work inspired the State Building Code Council to develop a nation-leading policy statewide. The State Legislature then passed a ground-breaking law to help a major utility decarbonize.

Initiative 2066 threatens all of these efforts and any future ones that prevent or discourage use of gas, no matter what a community wants. It may even limit incentives to help low income people afford high-efficiency electric appliances. Simply put, this is a bad but and wide-reaching initiative. However, that is also a fundamental weakness of the measure – one which we hope spells its downfall.

Initiatives in Washington need to be able to pass the Single Subject Test, and legal experts say that Initiative 2066, with its many potential outcomes, does too many things to pass that test.

Advocates and others are taking note. Several groups within the “No on I-2066” coalition are planning a legal challenge to the measure. They have to wait to file until the initiative officially qualifies, a procedural step that is likely to happen in December.

It’s critical that we look for ways to move forward with policies for safer and healthier buildings and climate during the legal fight on Initiative 2066. SAFE Cities will keep supporting local government leaders and advocates as we navigate this moment.

There’s a parallel here with the work of SAFE Cities in the wake of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision. In that divided decision, the court found the approaches that many local governments in the Ninth Circuit used for building electrification to be in conflict with federal law. Since then, working with our local partners, we have been connecting impacted local leaders with expertise and resources so they know what that decision means and what options still exist for meeting their climate and health goals. We will do the same around Initiative 2066, and we hope you’ll keep showing support for local and state policies to protect communities and climate.

While we move forward, let’s close with gratitude for those who led the fight to defeat both these measures.

Kudos to Climate Solutions, Washington Conservation Action, and all who fought successfully as part of the “No on 2117” coalition against the measure.

Kudos also go to Shift Zero, Climate Solutions, Sierra Club, Washington Conservation Action, and NW Energy Coalition who fought with other members of the “No on I-2066” coalition, including affordable housing developers, unions, medical professionals and anti-poverty advocates.

We will continue to work together across the movement to drive the change we know is needed.