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While speaking to
Mom's Rising members in the Legislative Building today, Gov. Jay Inslee called
on the Legislature and Congress to pass common sense gun-safety legislation
this year. His comments follow another massacre at a high school – this
time in Parkland, Florida.
 "In
the face of this gun violence, it is time for us to say that prayers and
condolences are not enough,” Inslee said. “Our state, and our nation need
action against gun violence, and we need it this year. We cannot fall prey to
the NRA, who are allowing inaction to expose these beautiful children to
violence in our schools, or in their neighborhoods.
"We
cannot allow the NRA to say that there is a false choice between improving mental
health care and keeping guns out of the hands of people who should not have
them. We need to do both.”
On
the day of the Florida shooting, Inslee issued a statement demanding that lawmakers do more than grieve.
In
recent years, voters throughout Washington state have overwhelmingly approved
two firearm safety measures to expand
background checks and
empower families with loved ones in crisis to seek protection
orders.
Inslee also issued an executive
order in 2014 to
launch a public-health driven approach to reducing firearm-related injuries and
deaths, including suicides.
 "Washington
has an opportunity to lead here and I can tell you that, as a former secretary
of state of our country, that the world is looking to the United States. The
world believes in us and in what we’re trying to do.”
Those were the words of Former
Secretary of State John Kerry, who visited Olympia this week to support
the passage of a carbon-pricing bill this session. Kerry joined Gov. Jay Inslee
in a series of meetings with legislators, as well as business, tribal,
environmental and labor leaders, who are involved in a growing movement to get
the bill passed.
Inslee first introduced his carbon pricing measure in
January. This policy would help Washington meet
its carbon pollution reduction goals and grow Washington’s clean energy
economy. As the world moves away from fossil fuels,
Inslee says Washington state is uniquely poised to develop and manufacture the
clean energy technologies of the future and create thousands of new jobs.
“The Legislature recognized this threat a decade ago when
it pledged to the people of Washington that we would make our air cleaner and
reduce carbon pollution,” Inslee said in his State of the State address,
referring to legislation passed in 2008 that set specific targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
“But unless we act now, that promise will be broken.”
Sens. Reuven Carlyle and Guy Palumbo have spearheaded
negotiations in the state Senate. The Senate Energy, Environment &
Technology Committee approved the bill earlier this month, and the Senate
Ways & Means Committee held a public hearing on the bill this week. A growing
number of business leaders are voicing support for the policy, along with
tribal, labor, environmental and equity leaders.
WATCH: The governor meets with business and community
leaders in Central and Eastern Washington
READ: The Wenatchee World editorial board - Weighing in on the carbon tax
READ: The Seattle Times editorial board - Lawmakers should push forward on carbon-tax plan
READ: Kirkland Reporter - John Kerry in Olympia to advocate for governor’s carbon
tax
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