New “988 Lifeline – There Is Hope!” license plate emblem can save lives

Washingtonians are invited to purchase a new license plate design to support suicide prevention. The new “988 Lifeline – There Is Hope!” license plate emblem was unveiled Tuesday by the state departments of Licensing and Veterans Affairs and Health. The new plate costs $18 and proceeds support veteran suicide prevention efforts.

Nearly one in five veterans lives with post-traumatic stress disorder, and veterans are lost to suicide disproportionately. Approximately 125,000 American veterans have been lost to suicide since 2001.

Gov. Jay Inslee accepted a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) challenge two years ago with a goal to reduce veteran suicides. Establishment of the 9-8-8 veteran support option and public awareness campaigns may let veterans know they have someone to call in a moment of crisis. Purchase and display of the new license plate may save a life.

Take care while dashing through the snow

There is snow in the passes. There is snow in Seattle and snow in Spokane. Wintery weather has settled upon most of Washington state. With flurries of snow come flurries of preventable accidents.  

The Washington State Department of Transportation and the Washington State Patrol urge drivers to drive cautiously and to prepare their vehicles for winter driving. Tire chains are often required for vehicles under 10,000 pounds without four-wheel drive, and for all vehicles above 10,000 pounds. Pay attention to signage on the approach to mountain passes for requirements.

Washington State Patrol urges drivers to slow down, especially where ice is known to form such as over bridges, overpasses, and on- and off-ramps. Visit the WSDOT real-time highway status map and activate the “Weather Stations” tool to check conditions along your intended route.

State employees convene to confront race, advance equity

Nearly 1,000 state employees gathered in-person and virtually on Wednesday to join the Governor’s Equity Summit, a training session to challenge norms and systems that might create barriers to state services, employment, contracting, and education.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law in 2020 the creation of a new Office of Equity. Its mission is to work across agencies to diminish barriers and attack disparities. Inslee appointed Dr. Karen Johnson to lead the office, which is the first of its kind in the nation.

“We can set a standard for other states to follow,” said Johnson during the summit. “We can center the voice of those that have been left out and left behind.”

State employees listened to guest speakers like Philip Jacobs, author of “The Elephant in the Room.” In his book, Jacobs attests that it is easy to have big conversations about equity, but tougher to have small conversations about specific things that need to change. Employees also heard about the value of belonging, and embracing individual differences to nurture a sense of welcome for all at the workplace.

State agencies are required to publish and implement a Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) playbook to eliminate barriers to government services and inequities based on race, gender, and other characteristics.

“Equity is done on purpose. It’s intentional. It’s a practice,” said Inslee. “The PEAR playbook is an active influence on the way we do business. We’re accountable to be our best.”

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Rural broadband receives $120 million boost

Communities without broadband access will benefit from a new, $120 million state investment in “last-mile” internet infrastructure.  The Washington State Broadband Office will accept applications for this grant round through Jan. 17, 2023. Washington state’s goal is to achieve universal connectivity by 2024, and high-speed universal broadband by 2028.

Businesses affected by Bolt Creek Wildfire eligible for assistance

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest federal disaster loans to help small businesses affected by the Bolt Creek Wildfire this summer. SBA declared the disaster following a request by Gov. Jay Inslee. Businesses in Chelan, Island, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish and Yakima counties may apply by Aug. 30, 2023 at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. Eligibility is based on the financial impact of the disaster only, and not on any actual property damage.

Commerce investments are bringing people inside from Spokane’s Camp Hope

The Washington State Department of Commerce has agreed to fund a slate of proposals from the City of Spokane and local nonprofits to offer shelter and substance use disorder treatment for people living in Camp Hope. The funding will create 376 shelter and housing beds to help reduce homelessness in Spokane as part of the state’s Right of Way Safety Initiative. State agencies are collaborating to open hundreds of shelter beds, introduce counseling services, help residents secure identification, and ultimately bring people experiencing homelessness inside from the cold.

Kitsap Transit partnering with Washington State Ferries to provide ferry service between Seattle, Bremerton

Washington State Ferries (WSF) has partnered with Kitsap Transit to assist with two-boat ferry service between Seattle and Bremerton to fill gaps in WSF’s current schedule. The maritime industry is facing a labor shortage, and qualified deck officers and engine room employees take considerable time to train and onboard. WSF remains committed to restore two-boat service expediently. WSF is hiring; “A ferry deck is the best office in the world,” said Ian Sterling, WSF Public Information Officer.

Plan to cut statewide fuel emissions 20% starts Jan. 1

Transportation is Washington state’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, and the state’s new Clean Fuel Standard will help reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 20% by 2034. The program is similar to programs in all other West Coast states and British Columbia and incentivizes fuel producers to improve their products. The private sector is responding to demand for cleaner fuel: BP America recently committed to invest $269 million to double capacity at a renewable diesel refinery in Ferndale. Cleaner fuel is not painful at the pump, as an independent analysis estimated less than a one-cent increase per gallon in 2023, a four-cent increase in 2025, and no price impact by 2034.