2022 in Review
2022 is in the books, and it’s been quite a saga.
2022 began with a deadly surge of COVID-19 activity and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and dashed decades of hard-fought progress for reproductive rights. Congress, at long last, took action on gun violence and climate change, and sought accountability for those who tried to overthrow the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2020.
2022 was a year that showed how interconnected we are - the actions of one person, country, or nation can affect the lives and livelihoods of millions. During Gov. Jay Inslee’s State of the State address delivered in early January, Inslee committed to “Action… this Day.” Here’s a look at how Washington state leaders and communities took action to face the challenges and seize the opportunities of 2022.
Action for the planet
The Legislature approved an array of bills to modernize and promote clean transit and transportation options and clean buildings. Other bills were signed to protect salmon, advance clean manufacturing, and site clean energy infrastructure.
President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law in August. The legislation represented the federal government’s most significant action on climate change to date, with important federal investments in clean energy and transportation to put the U.S. on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 40 percent by 2030.
“These long-sought measures, part of the single largest investment to address climate change in American history, should rightfully encourage both our state and the federal governments to take further necessary steps,” said Inslee.
In September, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration deemed that the four lower Snake River dams must be breached to save native salmon and steelhead. Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray launched a joint federal-state process to determine that state and federal governments should implement a plan to replace the dams’ energy generation, irrigation, and transportation benefits to enable breaching to move forward.
Action for choice
The United States Supreme Court handed down a fateful decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to strip patients of their rights of choice and reproductive freedom.
Inslee, lawmakers, and reproductive health experts and advocates reacted swiftly to assure abortion rights and access remain secure in Washington. In June, Inslee and the governors of California and Oregon issued a Multi-State Commitment to defend access to abortion care and contraception. Inslee also approved $1 million to help reproductive care clinics handle increased number of patients coming to Washington state and directed the Washington State Patrol to refuse cooperation with any investigatory requests related to abortion from anti-choice states.
In October, Inslee and legislators proposed legislation to further advance abortion rights and access, including a constitutional amendment that expressly establishes a fundamental right to abortion and to choose or refuse contraceptives.
Action for housing
In the past two years, legislators significantly scaled up investments in housing and support services to help alleviate the growing numbers of people experiencing homelessness. This included funding for a new Rapid Capital Acquisition program that is being used to create over 4,400 supportive housing units by converting underutilized motels or apartment buildings to shelters.
This program allowed the state to launch a new Rights of Way Safety Initiative in the summer, focused on helping people living in dangerous roadside encampments transition to safer supportive housing. In King County, state and local agencies collaborated to bring 75 people inside from one site alone. In Spokane County, the program is being used to close Camp Hope, the state’s largest encampment. Partnerships are also underway in Thurston, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.
“It’s not just the roof,” said Inslee during a visit to a Vancouver tiny home project. “It’s the mental health support, it’s the chemical addiction issues, it’s the medical-assisted treatment.”
Federal pandemic relief funding that helped launch these ambitious programs is expiring. To sustain them and further address the main driver of homelessness — lack of housing — Inslee is proposing “urgent and audacious” action in the upcoming legislative session to speed up housing construction. An estimated 1 million housing units must be built in the next twenty years to keep up with population growth. Inslee is proposing a $4 billion referendum that would accelerate construction of affordable and supportive housing all across the state in the next six years.
Action for equity
In April, tribal representatives came together for a momentous signing of a first-in-the-nation alert system for missing Indigenous people. Indigenous women have long been disproportionately victimized by abduction, trafficking, sexual assault, and homicide. From July through November, the Missing Indigenous Persons Alert system was activated 17 times and contributed to the recovery of 13 missing persons.
Inslee also rescinded an outdated and overly restrictive affirmative action directive and committed anew to dissolve barriers in the way of equitable public contracting, education, employment, and services. He also issued an Executive Order in March to require that every state agency adopt a Pro-Equity Anti-Racism plan to achieve outcomes that benefit every Washingtonian and eliminate barriers to services based on race, ethnicity, gender, and other characteristics.
Action against gun violence
Gun violence takes many forms including death by suicide, mass shootings, domestic violence and community violence. Washington voters and legislators have a strong history of supporting commonsense measures to reduce gun violence, but more work remains.
A statewide high-capacity magazine ban took effect in July, and the legislature also passed additional bills this year to ban untraceable firearms sometimes known as “ghost guns,” and to prohibit firearms in certain locations such as school board meetings or polling places.
In December, Inslee joined fellow legislators and advocates and victims to propose a new package of legislation to require a permit to purchase a firearm, ban assault weapons, and hold gun manufacturers accountable for irresponsible practices.
2022 also saw the United States Congress take long-overdue action with the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act one month after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The law requires background checks of gun buyers under 21 years of age.
Action for mental health
Starting with the 2022 school year, students in Washington state may take excused absences to take care of their mental health. Legislators made historic investments to help schools hire more nurses, counselors and social workers, while also funding important new resources for youth and children with complex behavioral health needs.
Washington state also launched its 9–8–8 crisis lifeline in 2022. Support is now just three digits away for people experiencing a behavioral health or substance use disorder crisis. While 9–8–8 is now a national network, Washington state’s system is a cut above. Dedicated hotlines offer special resources to at-risk groups, including the Veterans Line, the Trevor Line for LGBTQ+ callers, and a first-in-the-nation Native and Strong Lifeline for native callers. Once fully implemented, the system will include new capabilities to deploy mobile crisis teams and connect people directly to providers and services.
Action against COVID-19
For more than two long years, wave after deadly wave of COVID-19 beset America and the world, and disrupted daily life and commerce. 2022 began with astonishing viral activity in Washington state, overwhelming hospitals and requiring the governor to activate the National Guard in support.
As the year continued and the lifesaving effectiveness of broadly available vaccines and therapeutics was demonstrated, many states ended their emergency orders including Washington state.
On Oct. 31, 2022, Washington’s state of emergency lapsed and Inslee rescinded all remaining emergency orders.
The first lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 and first confirmed COVID-19 death was in Washington state in 2020. The state’s decisive and strong public health response resulted in Washington having one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the country.
Best wishes for 2023
It’s always fun to end with an animal photo, so that’s how we’ll choose to wrap up 2022. Last month, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife celebrated the retirement of a beloved colleague — Colter, the Karelian bear dog who helped scare hundreds of bears and mountain lions away from populated areas. To conclude his distinguished 14-year career, the governor rewarded him with a ceremonial retirement, and some treats.
May your 2023 be as warm and peaceful as Colter’s is sure to be.
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