Front & Centered - In times like these, we’ll be here for you

In Washington State and over ten years of Front and Centered’s existence, we’ve made amazing progress by working together for a Just Transition to a brighter future of clean air, public infrastructure, and healthy communities for all.

That success drew attention from the opposition—specifically, a few ultra-wealthy individuals and special interests who used their money this year to push four ballot initiatives meant to distract and mislead us, strip us of our agency, and challenge our collective work to invest in our future.

With new uncertainty at the national level, you may be feeling anxiety, fear, and concern for your communities, especially those who have historically faced systemic injustices. Many of you are carrying the burden of protecting not only yourselves but also your families, friends, and neighbors, who may feel particularly vulnerable.

We expect a hostile federal administration, and we will need to work to protect Washingtonians and build in safeguards. As we all take stock of where we are and plan for changes ahead, it’s also clear our work here in Washington State must provide a hopeful model of what a Just Transition looks like, and that we must link arms with frontline communities across the nation and the world, to stand together in resilience as we face the ecological crisis and extractive economy that are upon us.

Washington State Results

In partnership with other organizations and leaders, Front and Centered advocated against all four state ballot measures, and three of the four went down on election night. We should celebrate this as a victory that proves that our climate, our health, and putting people over profit are all top priorities for the people of Washington State.

We can look forward to continued state climate investments, and we won’t stop directing attention to the legislative commitment that 40% of environmental investments are invested in frontline communities. At the same time, we must play defense to protect climate funds from adverse purposes, like highway expansion.

The close result for and potential passage of Initiative 2066 show that a desperate effort to confuse people about the impacts of fossil fuels in the home was successful, and that there was a gap in the combined response of large institutions and donors when compared to the one that came together to oppose Initiative 2117. We’ll have to work that much harder to ensure that justice is a key component in our transition away from natural gas, and that everyone has access to affordable, clean energy.

What’s Next

As Washington State moves forward within this new national context, we must remember that if we are to truly advance and safeguard climate and environmental justice, just making fossil fuels more expensive will not be enough. To make our collective vision possible we must lead by example, stop polluting projects before they start, and create the world we want to see from the ground up.

Even as we celebrate our victories and mourn our setbacks, our work to advance a Just Transition continues. We’re honored to stand with you and to have your support. Let’s keep working together for the world we want to see.

In solidarity,

Deric Gruen