Transit-Oriented Development (HB 2160)

Transit-oriented development (HB 2160), which would promote better-connected communities by allowing denser housing to be built near transit hubs, passed out the Capital Budget Committee Friday morning!  A massive thank you to everyone who emailed the committee to vote yes; we sent over 2600 emails in just a week.

Next stop for HB 2160 is the House floor!  It needs to be voted on by the entire House by February 13 to continue on into the Senate.  There’s hundreds of bills that are vying for a spot on the floor agenda, so we need to keep up the pressure to prioritize TOD. Click the button at after the bill updates to email your legislators.

Rural Lands Protection (HB 2126/SB 6029)

HB 2126 and SB 6029, which would allow second homes to be built in rural areas that don’t have the resources to support the development, are also both near a floor vote. Last Thursday we had a successful Farms First Call in Day, thanks to everyone who took time out of their day to make calls and help spread the word.

However, since these bills could be brought to a floor vote at any time, we need to keep up this pressure through the floor vote cut off on February 13.  Our first step is to email our Representatives and Senators, but we’ll continue the momentum throughout the Floor Vote Action Week.  Click the big red button below the updates to send the email!

Rent Stabilization (HB 2114)

Rent Stabilization (HB 2114), which would help sent caps on rent increases and keep folks in their homes, was voted out of the House Appropriations Committee yesterday.  However, SB 5961, its companion bill in the Senate, died last week in Committee.  This means HB 2114 has a tricky path forward as we get it moved off the House floor and into the same committee in the Senate.  If we want to be able to solve our housing crisis, we not only need more housing to be built, but we need to make sure people can afford the homes they’re already living in.  We know it faces new hurdles in the Senate, but there’s been a lot of backlash already to SB 5961 dying in the Senate, so if we can keep up that pressure with our partners at the Low Income Housing Alliance, we can flip key votes and get it passed this year.

Click here to email your legislators to support Connecting Communities and to take action on all of these issues!

Join in the fun with the Bill Bonanza

Futurewise fans may remember the Floor Vote Frenzy from our campaign last year, where we worked hard all week to consistently reach legislators to support our issues.  We’re back this year with the Bill Bonanza!  Join us as we email legislators, post on social media, call the Capitol, share with friends and more and create statewide energy around Connecting Communities!

You’ll hear from our Campaign interns all week with our calls to action.  They’ll deliver a toolkit right to your inbox to make each action super easy.  Spread the word!  If you’re getting this email you’re already on our list, but your friends and new Futurewise fans can sign up for the weekly email updates here.

Sneak Preview for our Climate Budget Request

In addition to working on bills, we’re working to get money set aside in the state budget for Connecting Communities.  Last year, we successfully passed HB 1181, which added climate change to the Growth Management Act, so cities will need to plan on how to reduce planet-warming pollution, and how to be more climate-resilient.  This year, we’re asking the state to set aside money for cities to make the policy change a reality on the ground.  That would mean more money for things like protected bike lanes, improved bus service, and new walking trails.  Stay tuned for action alerts as we move through session!

Weekly Volunteer Campaign Meeting

Join us every Wednesday from 5:30-6:30pm over zoom for our weekly campaign meeting!  We’ll share updates and brainstorm ways we can build momentum in our local communities.  This week we’ll focus on the Floor Vote Action Week.  Any and all are welcome to join.