King County Executive Dow Constantine. Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride and mayors from the cities of Mercer Island, Issaquah, Shoreline, Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Seattle and Tukwila have issued a joint letter calling for bold state action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our residents want a healthy environment and sustainable economy and community for their kids and grandkids. Cities are taking on the climate challenge through tough decisions on housing and transportation, and we seek a similarly strong commitment by the state of Washington,” said Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride.

The joint letter calls for bold state action, including establishment of market-based tools to set a price on climate pollution, coupled with steps to ease the transition for businesses and low-income residents.

“We are on the cusp of decisions that must be made now if we are to have a sustainable environment and economy for our future,” said Constantine. “We support the Governor’s work to outline clear commitments for state action on climate change. We can’t afford to wait.”

The Governor’s Climate Legislative and Executive Workgroup (CLEW), a bi-partisan group convened by Governor Jay Inslee, is scheduled to make recommendations this month on actions to meet state climate commitments.