OLYMPIA, Wash. — Governor Jay Inslee outlined his priorities for the legislative session in his State of the State address on Tuesday afternoon.
In Inslee's 11th State of the State address, the governor highlighted the state's improved economy, climate change proposals, police funding and fallout from the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.
"I’m happy to report we have been, we are, and we will always be the strongest state in the nation," Inslee said on Tuesday. "In fact, the state of our state is stronger than ever. For over a decade, we’ve advanced nation-leading policies to support working families, grown our economy, and acted boldly to protect our state’s iconic spaces and salmon. We’ve advanced equity; built more housing; fought for a woman’s right to choose; and ushered in a clean energy economy."
Inslee said his agenda involves pressing further on his "evergreen agenda," noting that the Legislature is on track to slash Washington's greenhouse gases by 95% by 2050.
Inslee said the Climate Commitment Act, which charges polluters in the hope of reducing carbon emissions, will fund electric school buses, eight million free transit rides for youth, filtration systems in schools and public chargers for electric vehicles.
"Climate change is our present, but climate collapse does not have to be inevitable," Inslee said.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. John Braun said Washingtonians are frustrated with the price of gas. Braun blamed the Climate Commitment Act for raising prices.
"I understand we're working on climate change and we want to address carbon issues," said Braun, R-Lewis County. "I don't think here in the state of Washington we need to do it on the backs of working Washingtonians."
The governor plans to propose a $200 utility bill credit for one out of every three households in Washington, which would affect nearly two million low and moderate-income Washingtonians. The law would make it easier for Washington to invest in hybrid electric ferries and safer bike and pedestrian routes, according to Inslee.
This is all part of Washington's efforts, Inslee said, in transitioning fossil fuel jobs into jobs for a clean energy economy. Washington's new Pacific Northwest federal hydrogen hub is expected to create 8,000 jobs, he said in the address.
"From sustainable aviation fuels and EV battery manufacturing in Moses Lake to electric buses in Ferndale, we’re attracting and creating thousands of good-paying jobs in clean energy and clean technology," Inslee said. "These jobs are coming on quickly."
Inslee said his budget for 2024 would fund more state troopers and forensic scientists, create an organized retail theft task force and increase funding for drug trafficking investigations. He said he will propose $64 in new spending to fight opioids and fentanyl overdoses.
"Washington state also needs more police officers, and that’s what this budget would do," Inslee said. "We’re removing barriers to careers in policing by establishing training centers all over the state – where more recruits are getting some of the best training in the country, including de-escalation training."
House Minority Leader Rep. Drew Stokesbary said statistics don't back up the Governor's assessment of the state.
”We have the fewest police officers per capita," Stokesbary said. "We are between number one and number three for violent crime, property crime, and auto theft for the country. Seventy percent of our students are failing math standards."
In the fallout of the Roe v. Wade decision, Inslee continued to call for Washington to enshrine reproductive freedom in the state constitution during this legislative session. Eight other United States have enshrined reproductive freedom in their state
"We have not forgotten the U.S. Supreme Court’s frightening decision to eliminate Roe v. Wade," Inslee said. "Fundamentally, this is an issue of freedom – freedom of choice when facing one of the most intimate and personal decisions in life. 13 Most in this room are committed to protecting that right, but none of us will hold these seats forever. We must face the reality that there are forces in our nation and in our own state intent on destroying the right of choice."
WATCH: Inslee's State of the State address
In 2023, Inslee confirmed he won't be seeking a fourth term as Washington's governor, saying that it's time to pass the torch to another person.
With his tenure as governor nearing its end, Inslee said in his address Tuesday that he will continue to "push through the tape" and work to accomplish his legislative goals before he leaves office.
"When I took office, we had audacious goals that defied the odds to become reality," Inslee said. "I had confidence we could tackle these challenges because I’ve always believed in the unique talent and ambitions of Washingtonians. Washingtonians have more resilience, more love for our state, and more endurance to push toward the sunny uplands of the future than any other people on the planet."