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A line of shiny new EVs from a variety of manufacturers was on display Tuesday in Tukwila at the announcement of a new EV affordability program for low-income Washingtonians.
The average monthly lease payment on a new car is $578, according to Nerdwallet. Starting in August, low-income Washingtonians can get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle for potentially as little as $56 per month.
Gov. Jay Inslee and state Department of Commerce Director Mike Fong announced the nation-leading program Tuesday that assists leases and purchases for thousands of low-income drivers to spur EV adoption. Washingtonians earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level ($45,180 for a single resident or $93,600 for a family of four) are eligible for huge discounts towards the purchase or lease of an EV.
The program could bring down the cost of six popular EV models to less than $150 per month for qualified buyers. The Toyota bZ4X has the lowest estimated monthly payment of just $56 per month based on currently-advertised deals. The Hyundai Kona ($78), Nissan Leaf ($87) and Hyundai Ioniq 6 ($93) are other popular models with estimated monthly costs beneath $100. That’s less than the average monthly phone bill.
“This is a nation-leading effort to democratize EVs,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “It’s going to save you a lot of money on the purchase price of your first EV, and then we’re going to save you a lot of money at the pump. You won’t have to buy or burn another drop of gasoline – that’s a good thing.”
One in five new vehicles sold in Washington state is now electric. To support this wave, the state recently announced plans to install 5,000 public chargers statewide with a specific focus on installations at apartment complexes and multifamily housing. The charging expansion is supported by the Climate Commitment Act.
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Commerce estimates that rebates will lower the monthly cost of six popular models to beneath $150 a month once the program launches in August.
Bagpipes played and a bell tolled to honor lost workers at L&I’s 2024 Worker Memorial Day ceremony. L&I Director Joel Sacks urged employers and labor to recommit to safety to prevent workplace tragedy and harmful exposures.
A bell tolled 93 times from the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) headquarters Thursday – once for every worker killed on the job or by a work-related condition. The annual L&I Workers Memorial Day ceremony honors lost workers and repeats a vital message: harm is preventable.
“In my 12 years as governor, I've attended 12 Worker Memorial events hosted by the state Department of Labor & Industries. It's my hope that one day, it's an event we can cancel for a year for lack of lost workers,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “Exposure to unsafe chemicals is preventable. Trench collapses are preventable. The reckless driving that hurts highway workers can be prevented. Workplace death is preventable if safety is a priority.”
Crab fisherman Bryson Fitch was just 23 years old when his crabbing boat capsized in Willapa Bay. He was never found. In 2022, Demetrius Sellers and David Ameh were repairing a sewer line in a trench when it caved in, burying the men beneath 20 feet of sediment.
“Our lives have changed forever. He was quiet. Always smiling. He loved working and helping others, especially his grandmother,” said Barbara Bojang, Sellers’ mother. “I’m asking all of you to have a plan for safety. I’m asking you to keep your loved ones’ story alive.”
In addition to workers killed on the job, the memorial remembers workers who died from a work-related condition. Among the names read this year was a firefighter who suffered after chemical exposure and a construction worker who suffered from complications of asbestos exposure.
“While families and friends are left to mourn these fallen workers, we can honor them by always focusing on preventing these tragedies from happening in the first place,” said L&I Director Joel Sacks.
DOC Secretary Cheryl Strange briefed Gov. Jay Inslee, state leaders, and corrections advocates on the state’s successful efforts to enhance reentry programs for individuals released from prison on Wednesday.
Nationally, there's a 34% likelihood of someone released from prison to reoffend and return to prison within three years. America imprisons six times as many people as most European countries and spends $52 billion on corrections each year. The Washington state Department of Corrections (DOC) is taking a different track. In a Results Washington Public Performance Review on Wednesday, DOC leaders and Gov. Jay Inslee assessed DOC’s recent efforts to smooth reentry.
The result: a 22% recidivism rate, a 35% improvement over the national average.
“Our data shows that 96% of all incarcerated individuals leave prison – ready or not,” said DOC Secretary Cheryl Strange. “You can see that our recidivism rate has declined in recent years. I believe, governor, this clearly shows the investments that you and the Legislature have made in reentry. And it's working to reduce overall crime in our state well below the national average.”
Educational coursework is available at all of Washington’s 11 prisons. Incarcerated people are attaining their high school equivalency and going on to achieve associate’s and even bachelor’s degrees. DOC is rehabilitating through cognitive therapies, substance use disorder treatment, financial literacy and soft skills learning, and other one-on-one interventions. The agency has also enhanced its efforts to offer transitional housing for those it releases, including by opening a new reentry facility in Wenatchee to help people ease back into life on the outside. A partnership between DOC and the state Department of Licensing is arranging ID cards for people before release.
These efforts are providing structure, purpose, support, and employable skills to people in prison. The outcome is that they’re leaving prison and coming back less often. They’re finding their way down a new and better path.
“This is a public safety win. The people leaving our prisons are better off. They’re more ready to support themselves. And our state is better for that,” said Inslee.
The generous Washington College Grant is supporting students through school and career training
The end of the school year is approaching, and so is a whole new phase of life for graduating seniors. Washington’s student financial aid programs are the most generous in the nation. The Washington College Grant (WA Grant) helps students attend college or participate in career training programs or registered apprenticeships. The new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) takes under one hour to complete, and helps people access life-changing grants to support their career ambitions. Students who don’t file their FAFSA may miss out on thousands of dollars of assistance.
New federal rule limits emissions from coal-fired power plants
The Environmental Protection Agency Thursday issued a new rule to require fossil fuel-fired power plants to capture harmful emissions. The federal government has also issued rules for coal-fired plants to reduce toxic wastewater pollutants. Gov. Jay Inslee issued a statement in support of the new regulations.
“These new EPA rules are profound tools in the fight against pollution and climate change. With the power sector accounting for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, addressing pollution and requiring cleaner energy will serve our economy and bring environmental justice to our communities.”
Biden Administration kicks off ‘America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge’
Earlier this week, the Biden Administration announced a new national goal to restore 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of rivers and streams. The program is a bold step to support the conservation of salmon and other freshwater species.
“(This) is a rallying cry to safeguard our nation's rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands. Here in Washington, we'll keep doing our part to protect clean air and clean water for all, and to conserve our natural heritage,” posted Gov. Jay Inslee.
Federal “Solar for All” program expands residential solar nationwide
The Biden Administration announced a huge new program to deploy residential solar nationwide this week. Washington state will benefit to the tune of $156 million to support projects to help low- and moderate-income Washingtonians benefit. Gov. Jay Inslee also pledged $100 million in Climate Commitment Act funding to support the effort.
“We’re attacking this problem on both ends,” said Inslee to The Seattle Times. “We’re making investments helping people get new technologies like solar and heat pumps and insulation and electric school buses, but the Climate Commitment Act … limits pollution directly. It has a direct cap on toxic pollution.”
Young Washingtonians gather to celebrate Arbor Day on capitol campus
Gov. Jay Inslee and First Spouse Trudi Inslee joined a group of children from the Capitol Childcare Center to plant three new saplings on the Washington State Capitol campus on Friday. The Arbor Day Foundation promotes planting more trees in urban and rural areas, an effective way to cool communities and improve air quality. Washington's Climate Commitment Act is providing additional funding to expand tree canopies in cities and towns experiencing the effects of climate change across the state.
Gov. Jay Inslee got some help planting trees on Arbor Day from pupils from the Capitol Childcare Center
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