Washington’s rich and diverse environment provides endless opportunities and activities. It provides habitat to countless plants and animals, as well as important commercial and recreational activities that help our state’s economy.

Unfortunately a silent source of pollution, stormwater runoff, threatens the treasured waters of the state. This was the message participants heard at a recent public forum we co-sponsored at the state Capitol. read more »

For the moment, homeowners and prospective home buyers appear to have dodged major cost increases from new energy code regulations being imposed by the state Building Code Council, which is responsible for establishing minimum building standards in our state.

The new regulations, which were scheduled to take effect July 1, are part of the state’s climate action agenda. Last year Gov. Chris Gregoire directed the building council to amend the energy code to improve energy efficiency by as much as 30 percent. read more »

Policymakers should remove regulatory barriers that increase the cost of building a home and drive up the cost of living in our state.

In answer to a question about the high cost of living in Washington, Governor Christine Gregoire told a TVW interviewer that “the cost of building a home is not determined by the state.” The Governor was responding to an aerospace industry study that shows Washington is at a severe competitive disadvantage compared to other states because of our higher cost of living. read more »

During the past five years, the legislature has enacted more than two dozen environmental policies ranging from climate change, to clean water and banning flame-retardant compounds. While these policies receive significant attention as they are being considered by the legislature, few of them are audited afterward to determine if they are having the intended results. read more »

As the state’s unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent, Governor Gregoire rolled out her own news of economic success, claiming job growth in the green sector of the state’s economy. To support her claim, the Governor cites the findings of the 2009 Washington State Green Economy Jobs report, which found that there are more than 99,000 green jobs in Washington. read more »

Since 2003 WashingtonVotes.org has provided concise, plain-English, descriptions of every bill, amendment and vote in the Washington legislature. Through our service, thousands of Washingtonians follow the day-to-day activities of their elected officials in Olympia and are being empowered to participate in the legislative process. read more »