More Than 200 Health Care Professionals Across Washington State Oppose Initiative 2117
Washington’s Doctors and Nurses Part of Unprecedented Statewide Coalition of More Than 550 Organizations and Tribal Nations
Coalition Members Including Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Washington State Medical Association, Washington State Nurses Association, American Lung Association, and SEIU 1199NW
Seattle, WA, October 23, 2024 – No on 2117 today announced that more than 200 health care professionals in Washington state have signed an open letter opposing Initiative 2117. In the letter, the doctors and nurses state that “Initiative 2117 is a misleading, extreme initiative that means more pollution for Washington communities. It’s a clear threat to Washingtonians’ health.” The complete letter with signatories is available here.
“Initiative 2117 is bad for our health, and it’s a bad deal for Washington,” said Dr. Vin Gupta, a pulmonologist and critical care physician. “As a pulmonologist treating critically ill patients, I know firsthand the devastating effects increased pollution has on our health. I-2117 would make pollution worse, which is why I, along with doctors across Washington state, am calling on voters to reject this dangerous, deceptive initiative.”
“One in 10 children in Washington struggle with asthma. Prolonged exposure to unhealthy, unclean air from wildfire smoke, older school buildings, and diesel school buses exacerbates existing asthma and puts communities at higher risk of disease,” said Dr. Mary Beth Bennett, a pediatrician. “Initiative 2117 cuts investments in wildfire prevention, healthy school environments, and electric school buses — it’s a bad deal for Washington kids and families.”
“Initiative 2117 is a danger to our community-wide health. It means more of the toxic pollutants that increase the likelihood of disease and make existing health inequities worse,” said Dr. Charles Mayer, a family physician and task force co-chair with Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility. “As doctors and nurses, our prescription to protect our health and wellbeing is clear: Vote ‘no’ on Initiative 2117.”
Initiative 2117 would threaten Washingtonian’s health by:
- Immediately ending the expansion of our air quality monitoring network, which both alerts families when levels of air pollution are dangerous, and allows state agencies to act to enforce clean air standards.
- Slashing funding for wildfire prevention and forest health programs, which would make communities more vulnerable to wildfires and smoke.
- Cutting $5.4 billion from the statewide transportation plan, including investments to increase electric vehicles and transition from diesel school buses to electric.
- Gutting more than $175 million for infrastructure improvements to make school buildings cleaner, more modern, and safer, including updated HVAC, air filtration, and air conditioning systems. Public health data shows that extreme heat and polluted air harm kids’ cognitive abilities, including in school buildings.
The healthcare professionals join more than 550 organizations and Tribal Nations that oppose I-2117, including firefighters, small businesses, Tribal Nations, labor unions, and environmental groups. You can view the full list of organizations opposing I-2117 here.
No on 2117 continues to advance its unprecedented effort to defeat I-2117 across fundraising, field organizing, paid media, and coalition-building. A new poll from the Seattle Times, KING 5, and the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public found the “no” vote leading by 18 percentage points among likely voters.
More information on the No on 2117 campaign is available here.