Tag Archives: Gov. Jay Inslee

Governor signs Hawkins bill promoting hydrogen vehicles

Sen. Brad Hawkins’ bill to promote hydrogen-powered vehicles is now a state law.

Gov. Jay Inslee today signed Senate Bill 5000, which establishes an eight-year statewide pilot project for the reduction of sales tax on purchases of fuel-cell electric vehicles.

The Senate passed the bill 49-0 in March and the House of Representatives approved it 93-4 on April 10.

“I’m very pleased that this bill has the governor’s signature on it after receiving strong support in both the Senate and House,” said Hawkins, who represents the 12^th District. “Our state is still in its infancy regarding electric vehicles, so I think it’s helpful to promote different types of zero-emission vehicles, both battery electrics and fuel-cell electrics. Washington has the potential to be a key producer of renewable hydrogen, and I’m excited about its future.”

In 2019, the Legislature approved Hawkins-sponsored Senate Bill 5588, which authorizes public utility districts to produce and sell “renewable hydrogen.”

“The people of North Central Washington have been leaders in clean energy for decades and now we’re in a position to lead the United States on renewable hydrogen use in transportation, including production, distribution, vehicles, transit buses, short-haul agriculture, and long-haul opportunities. It’s pretty exciting when you think about it, especially knowing my region’s long and proud history of clean energy,” said Hawkins.

Hydrogen can be created from a process that separates the hydrogen and oxygen molecules in water. The Douglas County Public Utility District in Hawkins’ district plans to utilize its surplus hydropower to do just that, creating renewable hydrogen from excess renewable hydropower and possibly also building hydrogen fueling stations. The PUD’s hydrogen production facility near East Wenatchee is expected to be completed toward the end of this year.

SB 5000 extends a similar exemption on vehicle sales tax that purchasers of traditional electric vehicles receive. With the first hydrogen-fueling stations in Washington expected to be operational by 2022, the bill will allow a total of 650 vehicles to receive a 50-percent sales tax exemption in fiscal years 2023 through 2029.

Even though hydrogen vehicles are newer to the market and slightly more expensive due to having not been in mass production nationwide, they have shown tremendous promise given how quickly they refuel and the limited infrastructure required to get the fuel to the station.

Hawkins said SB 5000 will help establish important parity between fuel-cell electric vehicles and traditional plug-in electrics.

“In our efforts to promote carbon-free vehicles, our state policies should be ‘technologically neutral’ so that we can give ourselves varied opportunities to reduce emissions and not unintentionally bias ourselves in the process,” Hawkins said. “Similar to diesel and gas, maybe there will always be multiple fuel sources for next-generation cars or maybe someday hydrogen vehicles will be the preferred choice.”

More Info: Renewable hydrogen could play a key role in Washington’s clean-energy future (Sen. Hawkins, Seattle Times, 12/15/20).

Hawkins asks Inslee to make COVID-19 vaccine available now to all in-person school employees wanting it

Sen. Brad Hawkins, the ranking Republican on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, is asking Gov. Jay Inslee to make it possible for all in-person school employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccination now if they want it.

In a letter sent to the governor today, Hawkins wrote:

“I appreciate the step that you took to modify your vaccine plan to allow all school employees regardless of age to gain access in Phase 1B2, however, you significantly slowed down the process to move to that phase. As I have communicated previously, our school employees are on the front lines – many currently providing in-person instruction – and helping our state fulfill its paramount duty regarding education. They deserve to be protected.”

Later in his letter to Inslee, Hawkins wrote:

“In a recent news conference, you compared a 25-year old teacher to an 80-year old Washingtonian. To me, this greatly oversimplifies the policy argument about access to vaccines. You did not mention that under your current plan, for example, a 64-year old teacher is unable to be vaccinated yet a 65-year old retiree who can still self-isolate is eligible. I support prioritizing our older Washingtonians and vulnerable adults, but our school employees (administrators, teachers, and support staff) deserve to be prioritized alongside these older Washingtonians, especially those who are providing direct student support today. Our state will not get back to normal until our schools are successfully functioning.

“Please consider advancing our state to Phase 1B2, allow school employees providing in-person instruction today to be assigned to Phase 1B1, or authorize local health providers to utilize their discretion when administering vaccines. Additionally, please clarify publicly your support for all school employees to gain access to the vaccine – regardless of age – in the same phase per your decision on January 18, as your response at a recent news conference appears to contradict your revised guidance.”

Hawkins, a former member of the Eastmont School Board in East Wenatchee, said Inslee’s current COVID-19 vaccination phases timeline is vague and different from the governor’s original vaccination phases timeline.

Hawkins represents the 12^th District, which covers much of North Central Washington.

Hawkins thanks Supt. Reykdal for bringing in expertise and planning ahead for school employee vaccinations

Sen. Brad Hawkins, the ranking Republican on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, responded to today’s announcement of the “Get Ready Plan” partnership between the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Kaiser Permanente.

“I applaud Superintendent Reykdal for working with partners to bring in expertise and plan ahead for school employee vaccinations,” said Hawkins, who serves the 12^th District and is a former Eastmont School Board member. “I’m thankful that the governor changed course on January 18th to acknowledge that all school employees, regardless of age, will be eligible to get vaccinated in the next phase. School employees across Washington – our teachers, administrators, and support staff – are helping our state fulfill its paramount duty and deserve to be protected.

“I still believe it is important for Governor Inslee and the Department of Health to allocate the vaccines to regions in proportion to their population and to allow local health providers and health districts to coordinate vaccine distribution.

“To the question about logistics, I believe the partners can get employee lists from their school districts, ask staff to present identification cards, and start getting vaccines administered as soon as they are allowed. School employees are critical workers and deserve to be protected as soon as possible.

“The reality is that our state will not get back to normal until our schools are fully functioning. The best way to make that happen is to get our school employees vaccinated now alongside our older Washingtonians because, unlike some of them, school employees will not be able to self-isolate.”

Hawkins acknowledges the challenge of coordinating vaccinations, but he believes it is often made worse by the state’s “top-down” approach and limiting flexibility at the local level.

“I’m thankful the health-care providers in my region – even prior to the governor’s designation of the Town Toyota Center as a regional distribution site – have been successful at getting vaccinations administered. However, the state should simplify things and provide more local flexibility in decision-making and vaccine distribution,” said Hawkins.

(PHOTO CAPTION: Senator Brad Hawkins of the 12^th District is a former school board member and the ranking Republican member on the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.)

Hawkins pleased about Inslee’s decision on school employee vaccine access

Gov. Jay Inslee’s move yesterday to make all of the state’s public-school employees eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of their age, is good news, says Sen. Brad Hawkins, ranking Republican on the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

The governor’s action came Monday, one week after Hawkins and the state Legislature’s other education committee leaders urged Inslee and the state Department of Health to revise recent guidance so that all school employees wishing to get a vaccination would be eligible under Phase 1B2 of the state’s guidelines.

“I’m thankful the governor agreed with the importance of expanding access to vaccinations for school employees,” said Hawkins. “His prior guidelines put those age 50 and older on track for being vaccinated as early as February, but a huge percentage of younger employees would have been waiting until April for their first vaccine dose, meaning the second dose wouldn’t happen until the school year is nearly finished.”

Hawkins added, “The governor’s original schedule was not acceptable, and I’m thankful he recognized that and changed his plan. The people on the front lines helping to fulfill the state’s paramount duty regarding education deserve to be protected, as many will be transitioning back to in-building instruction.

“I’m pleased that the proposed change was accepted and hope that the governor and DOH will consider my call to allow local health officials across the state to partner with school districts to designate February 1 as a statewide ‘School Employee Vaccination Day.’ My district could hold our vaccination day for school employees at Wenatchee’s Town Toyota Center, as it is one of the state-designated regional vaccination sites specified in the governor’s new plan.”

Go here to view the joint letter from Hawkins and his legislative education counterparts to Inslee and DOH.

Go here to view Hawkins’ news release on designating Feb. 1 as a statewide “School Employee Vaccination Day.”

Education committee leaders urge vaccine access for all school employees

Washington state’s education committee leaders, including 12^th District state Sen. Brad Hawkins, urged Gov. Jay Inslee and the state Department of Health to revise recent guidance so that all school employees who wish to get a vaccination can receive one in February as part of Phase 1B2.

According to the Department of Health’s recent guidance and timeline, which health care providers are following, school employees “50 years or older” are eligible to receive their vaccines as early as February. However, school employees “under 50 years” of age will not be eligible until at least April. The Jan. 11 letter comes at a time when school districts throughout Washington are expecting many, if not all, grade levels to soon return to classrooms to potentially interact with hundreds of students per day.

While this is welcome news for many in the school community, Hawkins – who serves as the ranking Republican member on the Senate’s Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee – believes it definitely justifies school employees (administrators, teachers, and support staff) gaining access to the vaccines now that front-line healthcare workers, first responders, and assisted living facility residents have already begun to receive vaccinations.

“School employees throughout Washington are delivering an essential service to help fulfill our state’s paramount duty,” said Hawkins. “They deserve to be prioritized with older Washingtonians, especially considering that they cannot self-isolate like many in our state. In fact, they will be doing the opposite, working indoors and in close proximity with students and staff. They absolutely should gain access to the vaccine.”

The letter, signed by the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate education committees, states: “As members of the Washington State Legislature and supporters of our educational system, we are writing to express our disappointment with the Department of Health’s recent guidance related to Washington’s COVID-19 Vaccine Phases. Based on your graphical representation of the phases and its timeline, it appears that many school district employees will not be eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID vaccine until at least April. If timelines slip and school employees are unable to receive their first dose until later in April, by the time they are fully vaccinated and gain full protection from the virus, school districts across Washington will be nearing the end of the school year. This is unacceptable.”

The letter further states: “As you know, school employees, students and families have made tremendous sacrifices during this pandemic and, like us all, they deeply hope for circumstances to return to normal soon. However, nothing will even resemble normal until our schools are fully functioning, given that they are foundational in so many ways to all Washington communities.”

(Included are links to the letter from the legislative education committee leaders to the governor and DOH, and the vaccine distribution timeline.)