Financial insecurity always exacerbates food insecurity. I-2117 would mean families already facing economic hardships would find it even more challenging to put food on the table.
An astonishing 892,000 people are facing hunger in Washington state—including one in six kids. We can all agree: Access to healthy, fresh, and affordable food is a fundamental right and none of us should have to go to bed hungry. But today, we face a new challenge for families who are feeling pinched by high costs while they try to put food on the table: Initiative 2117.
This fall, Washington’s ballot will feature Initiative 2117, a megamillionaire-backed effort that would impose an undue burden on Washington’s most vulnerable residents by raising costs for households and small businesses already grappling with financial hardships.
You might already know that I-2117 would end protections for our air, water, forests, and farmland while devastating our transportation and infrastructure programs.
But it gets worse: It would also cut funding for vital programs that help to reduce costs for working people, including programs that support energy-efficient cooling and heating systems for families, Tribes, and small businesses. It would also strip funding for programs that lower utility costs for low- and middle-income households and seniors.
What Critical Funding Would I-2117 Cut?
Take the Washington Families Clean Energy Grants Program. It provides crucial support, including an annual $200 utility bill credit for low-income households, helping reduce the strain of utility costs. This program is more than just financial support; it is a lifeline for low-income households struggling with high costs. Ending this program under I-2117 would mean ending a vital support system for our most vulnerable residents, leaving them to bear the brunt of increased costs and stretching already tight household budgets.
Living paycheck to paycheck is extraordinarily difficult already. If families are forced to lose this vital relief, they will have to make even tougher financial decisions. We know without a doubt: Financial insecurity always exacerbates food insecurity. Because of Initiative 2117, families already facing economic hardships would find it even more challenging to put food on the table.
I-2117 would also create long-term budget challenges for families by decimating funding for electrification programs that have been pivotal in reducing costs for households and small businesses. These programs, which cover the costs of the installation of high-efficiency cooling and heating systems for families and small businesses, weatherization of homes, and energy bill assistance, are under threat. If I-2117 passes, there will be fewer resources for families and less money in their pockets.
It’s All Connected
Energy costs, economic stability, and food security are all inextricably connected. When families are forced to choose between paying their utility bills and buying groceries, it’s not really a choice at all.
If you believe in a Washington where everyone has enough to eat and no one has to choose between keeping the lights on and feeding their family, vote no on I-2117 this fall.
Together, we can protect our community’s most vulnerable. Together, we can defeat I-2117.
Photo by Tanaphong Toochinda on Unsplash