On Friday, Gov. Jay Inslee and First Spouse Trudi Inslee traveled to Centralia to meet with the team at Hope Alliance, a state-supported non-profit advocacy organization and shelter for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. The organization provides comprehensive protections and legal aid for victims, including a 24-hour shelter. Their small team helped protect over 1,000 women last year.
Combatting the scourge of domestic violence, including instances involving firearms, remains a priority for the governor’s office. In 2023, the governor signed HB 1715, which increased availability of electronic monitoring systems for perpetrators of domestic violence, provided wider access to specialized attorneys for victims, and increased training requirements for law enforcement and judicial officers regarding domestic violence. Washington’s Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO), codified through I-1491 in 2016, continue to help prevent fatal intimate partner violence. ERPOs allow for family and household members, as well as law enforcement, to file a petition for firearm surrender against someone deemed to be an immediate threat to themselves or others.
Following this meeting, Trudi and the governor met with staff and stakeholders at the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy. The center helps prepare high school and college students for clean energy jobs by connecting them with industry partners. It's part of a network of 12 Centers of Excellence across the state that support a robust, resilient workforce by preparing Washingtonians for highly skilled careers in the sectors driving the state's dynamic economy.
As a key partner in the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, supported by the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), the center is a pillar in Washington’s transition to clean energy. They’re connecting students and former workers from the fossil fuel industry—including Washington’s last remaining coal plant—to good-paying clean energy careers. This partnership is a win for workers and for our efforts to defeat climate change.
One of the center's partners, Lewis County Transit, provided a demonstration of an advanced, cable-free induction charger, which is already being used to power some of their public buses. The CCA supports a range of similar projects and programs across the state, including funding the adoption of electric buses in school districts and public transit networks statewide, in addition to funding free public transit for Washingtonians under 18.
More about the day: