A roundup of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

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Gov. Jay Inslee Delivers ‘State of the State’ Address

At noon on Jan. 9, Gov. Jay Inslee delivered his annual “State of the State” address at the Legislative Building in Olympia. The half-hour speech was made during Inslee’s final year as governor. Now near the end of his third term, he is the longest-serving governor in the country.

Inslee described Washington as “the strongest state in the nation” and a “beacon for progress,” which, “for over a decade, [has] advanced nation-leading possibilities to support working families,” despite being in an era of tremendous change.

“We’ve grown our economy,” he continued. “We’ve acted boldly to protect our state’s iconic places and salmon. We’ve advanced equity. We’ve built more housing. We’ve fought for a woman’s right to choose, and we’ve advanced clean energy economy.”

Inslee stated his desire to continue down the same path for 2024, as Washington State presently has, by some measures, the strongest economy in the country. Inslee pledged to improve the State’s responses to behavioral health and homelessness, as well as move toward a constitutional amendment that might protect abortion rights in Washington State. He also continued to highlight his commitment to climate change legislation.

A number of policies pertaining to workers’ rights will also go into effect this year, including an increase in the state minimum wage, minimum pay for ride-share workers, and overtime pay for agricultural workers. An incoming public safety law for firearms purchases requires a background check and a 10-day waiting period.

Inslee’s whole address can be seen on TVW, Washington’s Public Affairs Network.

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CHOOSE 180 Announces New Executive Director, Nneka Payne

CHOOSE 180, a nonprofit that advocates against gun violence, has announced its new executive director, Nneka Payne.

A press release from the organization describes Payne as a “relationship-focused and mission-driven leader” with “a dynamic background spanning a decade across community-based organizations, human services, and the legal system.” In particular, Payne has experience with King County’s juvenile legal system and as a paralegal; she most recently was also the inaugural deputy chief operating officer for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.

The press release continues, “Throughout her career, She has consistently prioritized cultivating stakeholder engagement, enhancing program services and fostering collaborative accountability to create a brighter, more equitable future for King County youth.”

CHOOSE 180 was first founded in 2011 as a collaboration with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to, according to its website, “impact racial disproportionality, keep youth out of the juvenile criminal legal system, and break the school-to-prison pipeline.”

The organization first began as the 180 Program. It was convened by then King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, who partnered with community leader Doug Wheeler Jr.; the organization more formally turned into CHOOSE 180 in 2017. Former Executive Director Sean Goode led CHOOSE 180 until 2023, and Tascha R. Johnson was the interim executive director until Payne was hired.

Learn more about Payne on CHOOSE 180’s blog.

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State Report Shows Air Pollution Disproportionately Impacts Health in 16 Areas Statewide

A new 213-page report released by the Washington State Department of Ecology, titled “Improving Air Quality in Overburdened Communities Highly Impacted by Air Pollution,” reviewed 16 areas across Washington State that have been highly impacted by air pollution. Collectively, these 16 areas represented over 1.2 million people, or 15.5% of Washington State’s population. Analyzing findings that were related to air pollution levels, health impacts, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the report concluded that these areas experienced higher numbers of average days with air pollution and, in general, had greater levels of unhealthy exposure to fine particles and pollutants.

Relatedly, individuals in these overburdened communities experienced more health problems and have shorter life spans than the statewide average. Overall, the report found that fine particles (PM 2.5) is the “main criteria air pollutant that affects people’s health.” Older People of Color also disproportionately experience higher rates of death from breathing fine particles than their white counterparts.

This report is the first in a series that the Department of Ecology intends to release every two years, as it continues to engage with the 16 overburdened communities statewide, as well as understand how air pollution continues to impact health beyond current data and methodologies. It hopes to expand the statewide air monitoring network to collect detailed data about air quality. It also hopes to work with tribes, clean air agencies, universities, environmental justice organizations, and more.

According to a blog post from the Department of Ecology, “This work to improve air quality under the Climate Commitment Act will include a new grant program, which the agency will design with communities and environmental justice representatives to address local air pollution concerns. The $10 million grant program will be implemented in 2024.”

The Department of Ecology has also released a public survey targeting those who live, work, or play near the 16 locations. The survey will collect additional data about air pollution concerns.

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📸 Featured Image: Gov. Jay Inslee delivers his final “State of the State” address at the Legislative Building in Olympia on Jan. 9, 2024. Screenshot from TVW.

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