Washington State PTA (WSPTA) is the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association in the state. Our 80,000 plus members support mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change which pose a direct threat to the health and well-being of all children and youth. WSPTA also supports ample funding for schools and promotes safe and healthy environments for our children to live and learn (1).
WSPTA opposes Initiative 2117, which would repeal and block the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) – our state’s most consequential policy to address climate change (2), and a significant source of our state’s budget allocations (3, 4, 5).
Through the CCA, payments from top polluters are reinvested directly into our homes, schools, and communities (6). For school districts and related infrastructure, the CCA funds projects such as energy efficiency, small district modernization, zero-emission school buses, Safe Routes to School (7), and HVAC upgrades “to improve indoor air quality and comfort.” (8). These projects help schools lower operating costs, increase resilience to environmental hazards, and improve student health and safety.
Community-wide investments from the CCA create a better quality of life for the towns and cities in which our children live. The majority of the CCA dollars go towards clean transportation and buildings -the two largest sources of pollution in Washington state, with remaining portions funding clean energy, climate justice, and resilience from escalating effects such as heat, fires, storms, and droughts (9).
Removing funding for these critical projects would leave significant gaps in our state’s budget and leave families, school districts, and communities vulnerable to escalating impacts (10). Worse, failing to meet critical climate goals would be detrimental to the health and well-being of all children and youth across the state and beyond (11, 12).
We must continue to invest in clean energy and transportation systems and build resilience to heat and weather-related effects if we hope to have a better tomorrow for our children and youth. WSPTA supports the CCA goals and opposes I-2117. We encourage all local PTAs and councils to oppose I-2117 and for our members to vote NO on I-2117.
For additional information, see FAQs on Opposing Initiatives 2109 and 2117.
References:
- Washington State PTA Resolutions (11.28, 11.11, 18.11)
- “The Big Seven: Washington’s biggest climate policies.”. Washington State Office of the Governor
- Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5950, Operating Budget, 2023-2025 Supplemental
- Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5949, Capital Budget, 2023-2025 Supplemental
- Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2134, Transportation Budget, 2023-2025 Supplemental
- “Climate Commitment Act.”, Washington State Department of Ecology
- “Safe Routes to School Program.”, Washington State Department of Transportation.
- “Washington Climate Action: Climate Commitment Act: Polluters pay, communities benefit.”
- “How the Climate Commitment Act invests in a pollution-free Washington.”, Washington State. Office of the Governor (March 2024)
- University of Washington Climate Impacts Group
- “Global Climate Change and Children’s Health: AAP Recommendations.”, American Academy of Pediatrics
- IPCC SR6 Synthesis Report, Figure SPM.1
General References:
RCW 70A.65 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Invest Program (Climate Commitment Act)