Federal energy, environmental fund availability ping-pongs back and forth
More than half a billion dollars in clean-energy funding for Washington state is being held up by the Trump Administration.
Most of the money was intended to help the state’s low-income families switch to climate-friendly energy sources.
"Thousands of low-income families will be impacted," Washington Commerce Department head Joe Nguyen said. "You will see sky high heating bills and drafty homes with no relief in sight because some of these funds are frozen."
Commerce officials say they were not notified the $150 million grant was frozen.
They only noticed when they were unable to withdraw cash from their federal account.
Trump administration EPA officials declined to be interviewed for this story.
But the administration’s stated goal is to “unleash American energy,” rather than switching America to climate-friendly energy.
Nationwide, billions in clean-energy funds, and the prospects for stabilizing the earth's climate, are ping-ponging between the branches of the federal government.
In its first weeks, the Trump administration blocked all sorts of congressionally mandated funding from going out the door.
Then, it was ordered to stop by federal judges. Trump officials released some funding, as ordered, only to refreeze those funds days later.
The result has been chaos and confusion for anyone who’s been counting on that funding.
Where the ball stops, and what happens if this nation’s executive branch refuses to play ball with its judicial branch, nobody knows.
WA Fish and Wildlife Commission precarity continues
The future of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is getting less certain.
Just days before he left office, former Governor Jay Inslee made two appointments to that citizen panel — Ferry County's Lynn O’Connor and the commission vice chair Tim Ragen.
A week later, Governor Bob Ferguson sent a letter to the state Senate, asking to halt the nomination process.
Then, last week, the Senate agreed and unanimously decided to withdraw the appointments.
It’s part of an ongoing reckoning with the structure of the commission, which a December report called “dysfunctional” and in need of reform.
Ferguson has until April to name two new appointees, which could include O'Connor and Ragen, and his team says they’re now vetting candidates.
Rethinking Presidents' Day
Today we celebrate a holiday that honors presidents.
In some states, the day is known as Presidents’ Day in honor of all presidents. Others honor just George Washington and/or Abraham Lincoln, whose birthdays are 10 days apart.
If Stevens County Rep. Hunter Abell (R-Inchelium) has his way, Washington will change the name of the holiday from Presidents’ Day.
“The federal government and five states identify that date as either George Washington’s Birthday or George Washington Day. I thought, by golly, we’re the state of Washington. We ought to do the same, so that’s what my bill is designed to do," he said.
Abell’s bill received a hearing last week, but there’s no indication yet that it will move any farther in the process.
Wood stove bill advances in Olympia
A Washington Senate committee has advanced a bill that could lead to tighter emissions requirements for wood and pellet stoves.
The bill would require people who buy new stoves to purchase only those certified as clean burning by the state Department of Ecology. It would also allow that agency to either adopt existing federal emissions standards for stoves or create new state standards.
The prime sponsor, Sen. Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham), says the bill doesn’t apply to current stoves already in homes.
"What we’ve done here is we’ve made this a voluntary program. My intention was never to take away anyone’s wood stove. Wood stoves are a great source of heat, especially in rural areas, if you’re willing to put some arm energy into it," she said.
Republicans, such as Sen. Shelly Short (R-Addy), don’t like the bill because they say it gives Ecology the power to create more stringent regulations without legislative oversight.
The bill was forwarded to the Rules Committee, which will decide if it will be taken up by the full Senate.
Former Oregon congresswoman — and prospective Labor Secretary — gets her time in the spotlight
Lori Chavez-DeRemer will testify on Wednesday for the job as America’s labor secretary. But the former U.S. Representative from Oregon is facing political headwinds.
In 2022, Chavez-DeRemer was elected as Oregon’s first Republican congresswoman.
Her dad was a Teamsters member, and she backed pro-union policies in Congress. With support from several large unions, she ran for reelection as a moderate on issues like labor and abortion but lost to Democrat Janelle Bynum.
Recently, Republicans have criticized Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-union views. NBC news also reported that she worked at a Planned Parenthood clinic during her early 20s, though she told a senate committee that she does not “personally” support abortion.
Unlike most of President Trump’s cabinet nominees, some Republican senators have said they plan to oppose Chavez-DeRemer, so she’ll need Democratic support
Chavez-DeRemer’s hearing is set for 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
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Reporting contributed by John Ryan, Laurel Demkovich, Owen Henderson, Doug Nadvornick and Bryce Dole.