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The Front and Centered coalition represents diverse and powerful communities of color-led groups across Washington State who come together to advance equity, environmental and climate justice.

Frontline communities are experts in the impacts we face from the climate and ecological crisis as well as in the solutions we need to transition to a healthy, resilient, and sustainable future. We share our expertise and engage broad audiences to influence policy via earned media, social media, email, events, briefings, video, podcasts, research and reports, and other digital and in-person strategies.

Here you can find recent media releases, media coverage, profiles of our coalition speakers who are available to interview with media and share their expertise speaking at events or panels, and other key resources.

To connect with any of our speakers, contact Charlie McAteer at [email protected]. Members of the media can stay updated by signing up to our media list (please check the box that says, “I am a member of the media”):

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Media Coverage

Cameron Steinback on Coming to Climate Justice Work as an Educator, WA’s Data Center Working Group, and More.

Mark Chavez, Climate Justice Alliance | 4/17/2026

Climate Justice; Education; Air Pollution; Community Resilience

Cameron Steinback has taken a long journey from beginning his career as a teacher to Climate Justice Program Manager for Front and Centered in Washington State. In late 2025, he found himself in a data-center roundtable convened by Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson. It was an “experience” for someone who still considers himself new to the policy landscape. […]

I came to Seattle after that because I wanted to take my next step in my educational career. I wanted to see what else could unfold. And through the excitement and joy that I get from teaching young people, I built up enough skill that I was like, “How can I shape the next educators?” How can I continue to build upon the joy and the experience of teaching and connecting people to the parts of the world that sustain us, that let us thrive, and speak to the inequity of people’s access to and relationship with healthy environments, or the burdens of climate change on Black, brown, and poor folks all over the world.

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Washington Bill to Establish Low-Income Energy Assistance Program Awaiting Signature

Ayla Burnett, NewsData | 3/24/2026

Energy Justice; Legislative Session; Affordability; Community Resilience

A bill [in the Washington Legislature] would establish a statewide low-income energy assistance program […and aim to] reduce the state’s massive energy cost burden—defined as the share of household income used to pay annual home energy bills—for low-income households. […]

The state’s Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) already requires utilities to reduce energy burden. Prior to the proposed program, energy assistance programs have either been provided to households through stand-alone programs offered by individual utilities or through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or Washington’s State Home Energy Assistance Program, according to Aqsa Mengal, policy lead at nonprofit group Front and Centered. The key difference between the proposed program and others is that HB 1903 aims to establish sustained monthly assistance rather than one-time crisis assistance funds.

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Insulating the Energy Poverty Gap

Amal Ahmed, The Margin | 3/19/2026

Energy Justice; Legislative Session; Affordability; Community Resilience

At the state legislature this year, advocates successfully pushed for legislation to enact a dedicated fund for bill assistance. (The bill, passed on March 12, still needs to be signed by the governor.) “One of our goals is that a state-run program will provide sustained and predictable assistance, not just one-time bill credits,” said Aqsa Mengal, the climate and clean energy policy lead at Front and Centered, an environmental justice advocacy group. It could also reduce burdensome applications for people who need help, for example, allowing Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program recipients to automatically enroll, and the agencies that serve them, by creating one umbrella of funding instead of a patchwork of grants and programs, she said.

“This has been a multi-year effort on behalf of energy and low-income advocates,” Mengal said. “We are hopeful that the governor will sign the bill.”

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Wildfire Funding 2026 in Washington State

Chris Anderson, Cascade PBS | 3/5/2026

Wildfire Funding; Legislative Session; Community Resilience

Guillermo Rogel Jr., Political Manager with Front and Centered, is at the capitol encouraging the state to be more proactive in its approach to funding wildfire prevention and response.

“Sometimes these communities have the least amount of resources in order to address the wildfire crisis, either directly, because their homes aren’t equipped to filter out that smoke that might be coming into their homes, or they’re in susceptible areas that are more prone to wildfire damage,” said Rogel.

“So for us it’s really trying to make sure that those voices and community solutions are actively heard. It’s also why we’re excited about the funding because there’s also community outreach that is part of this resilience effort to make sure that communities know what kinds of resources they have available and it’s also translated into multiple languages.”

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WA Supreme Court hears arguments on 2024 natural gas initiative

Amanda Zhou, The Seattle Times | 1/23/2026

Elections; Clean Energy; I-2066

Members of the Washington state Supreme Court heard arguments over a voter initiative touching on natural gas and energy policies Thursday morning.

While a decision isn’t expected for months, the hearing marked one of the last steps before the initiative, which voters passed by around 52% in November 2024, becomes settled law or is ruled unconstitutional.

While the nine Supreme Court justices are reviewing the case “de novo,” or completely new without consideration for past rulings, a King County Superior Court judge ruled in March the initiative was unconstitutionally broad, violated the state’s single-subject rule and improperly changed existing laws.

The Republican-led initiative sought to explicitly protect access to natural gas in Washington. After its passage, it was challenged by advocacy groups Climate Solutions, Washington Conservation Action and Front and Centered, plus King County, the city of Seattle and other parties.

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Will Ferguson get away with raiding cap & trade funds?

Andrew Engelson, Cascadia Journal | 1/16/2026

Legislative Session; Budget; CCA

[Washington Governor Bob Ferguson] is proposing to cut services, tap into the state’s rainy day fund, and raid $569 million in revenue from the state’s cap-and-trade Climate Commitment Act. Ferguson says this climate revenue should be used to fund the Working Families tax credit, a crucial program that assists low income people who struggle to pay their bills.

But Guillermo Rogel Jr, political manager for the environmental justice organization Front and Centered, says Ferguson’s plan will harm the health and safety of low income people and communities of color in Washington. […]

He notes that Democrats “promised that these funds would go to mitigate the causes of climate change, help us reduce pollution, and help us wean off of fossil fuels.”

Shifting these fees on polluters – which were higher than projected – threatens home weatherization assistance, clean energy projects, and other programs that help communities become more resilient in the face of climate change, Rogel said.

“Our concern is that these sorts of sorts of transfers tend to become permanent,” he said.

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Historic Flooding in the Northwest

Chelis López, Radio Bilingüe | 12/15/2025

Flooding; Community Resilience; Equity

A severe storm is causing “catastrophic” flooding across Washington state. After days of heavy rain and overflowing rivers, authorities have ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 residents.

In the Skagit Valley, everyone living within the flood-risk zone has been told to leave. What areas face the greatest danger? What is expected in the coming hours? And how are officials responding to this unfolding disaster?

Guests:
Isabel Carrera Zamanillo, Community Learning and Innovation Strategist, Front and Centered Coalition, Seattle, WA;
Meisei Gonzalez, Environmental Justice Advocate, GreenLatinos, Salt Lake City, UT.

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EXCLUSIVE: Wash. Data Center Workgroup won’t recommend clean energy requirement

K.C. Mehaffey, Columbia Insight | 11/18/2025

Data Centers; Clean Energy; Equity

In interviews with Columbia Insight, workgroup members advocating for the data center industry, clean energy and environmental justice said that although they couldn’t agree on several issues related to tax incentives, they’re largely satisfied with the process and final recommendations.

On topics where workgroup members disagreed, minority reports will be included in the report to lawmakers and the governor to provide a detailed picture of outstanding issues.

“This was an important conversation to have. We’re glad that the governor’s office put it together,” Cameron Steinback, climate justice program manager for Seattle-based Front and Centered, told Columbia Insight. […]

Steinback said the legislature will have to decide whether Washington’s priorities are to provide data centers a “cozy space to land,” or make sure that the state is sticking to its climate goals.

He said energy costs are already rising, and without clear regulations higher electricity costs and diminished air and water quality could harm local communities and low-income residents.

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WA natural gas initiative may go to state Supreme Court

Amanda Zhou, The Seattle Times | 6/16/2025

Elections; Clean Energy; I-2066

Initiative 2066 was narrowly passed by voters by about 52% in November, but was struck down by a King County Superior Court judge in March. Now, the state Attorney General Nick Brown and the Building Industry Association of Washington have asked the state’s Supreme Court to weigh in.

Previously, Superior Court Judge Sandra Widlan ruled the initiative was unconstitutionally broad, violated the state’s single-subject rule and improperly changed existing laws.

I-2066 sought to explicitly protect access to natural gas in Washington and also weaken building codes that make it more difficult and costly to add natural gas heating in new construction. It also targeted legislation intended to help Puget Sound Energy, the state’s largest utility, plan its transition away from natural gas. […]

The plaintiffs challenging the initiative include advocacy groups Climate Solutions, Washington Conservation Action, and Front and Centered, plus King County, the city of Seattle and other parties.

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Judge overturns Washington natural gas measure approved by voters

Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard | 3/21/2025

Elections; Clean Energy; I-2066

A King County Superior Court judge on Friday invalidated the ballot measure approved by voters in November that seeks to slow Washington’s shift from natural gas toward technology like electric heat pumps. Superior Court Judge Sandra Widlan ruled that Initiative 2066 is unconstitutional because it runs afoul of a provision limiting citizen initiatives to no more than one subject and requiring them to contain the full text of the portion of state laws they would alter. […]

A coalition including Climate Solutions, Washington Conservation Action, Front and Centered, King County and the city of Seattle sued over the initiative in December. Washington is the primary defendant. The Building Industry Association of Washington was allowed to intervene to defend the measure.

Attorneys for initiative opponents argued in a court filing that the “most obvious constitutional infirmity” of Initiative 2066 is that it combines a popular idea of requiring certain utilities and local governments to provide natural gas to customers with a host of other subjects, such as future planning by Puget Sound Energy and the array of changes to the state energy code….

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PSE electric, gas rate hikes approved

Amanda Zhou, The Seattle Times | 1/17/2025

Legislative Session; Clean Energy; I-2066

PSE has said to comply with the clean energy laws, it will need to shift away from natural gas and coal, which made up nearly half of its electricity generation in 2023, and acquire an unprecedented amount of renewable power by 2030. In a brief, PSE also argued that the company is in a “risky financial condition” and has struggled with cash flow, a poor credit rating and has been unable to earn its authorized profit.

The attorney general representing commission staff, whose members operate independently from the commissioners who decide cases, conversely accused the company of seeking higher rates to both “enable the transition to clean energy and significantly increase benefits to investors.”

In the final order released Wednesday afternoon, the commission authorized PSE’s “return on equity” — the figure that determines how much profit the utility is permitted to generate — at 9.8% for 2025 and 9.9% for 2026, an increase from past settlements when the rate was closer to 9.4%, said Lauren McCloy, the policy director of the NW Energy Coalition. The organization filed as an intervener in the case with environmental groups Front and Centered and the Sierra Club….

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WA Legislature considers climate, environmental bills this session

Conrad Swanson and Isabella Breda, The Seattle Times | 1/13/2025

Legislative Session; Climate Justice; CURB Act

Environmental justice advocates are hoping lawmakers will move to address pollution in communities surrounded by major industries.

Redlining, racial covenants and other discriminatory mortgage and land-use processes shaped some of the environmental health disparities experienced by some pollution-overburdened communities today — flanked by highways, with limited tree canopy to protect from extreme heat, and downwind of industrial centers.

The Cumulative Risk Burden Pollution Act, or CURB, would require permitting agencies to produce an environmental justice review for all projects. For neighborhoods already exposed to high levels of toxic pollution, it would require a review of the cumulative impacts. It would make permitting agencies require businesses that would add unacceptable levels of pollution in these communities to mitigate the impacts, or the proposed project could be denied.

The bill, as drafted, would deny businesses the ability to claim economics as a public benefit of a potentially toxic project….

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Washington voters stand up for climate action

Natalia Mesa, High Country News | 11/13/2024

CCA; State Election Initiatives; I-2117

The Environmental Justice Program Manager for Front and Centered, a nonprofit that advocates for overburdened populations, said that repealing the Climate Commitment Act would have had “huge ramifications across the state,” and negatively impacted frontline communities who have only just started to reap its benefits.

However, a recent analysis by Front and Centered looked at the specific language in the state’s 2024 budget and estimated that just 14.6% of the climate act funds released this year have been explicitly earmarked for frontline populations. Although state agencies in charge of doling out the funds could choose to fund more projects benefiting frontline communities, the state itself has yet to release detailed data on how the money is being spent.

Regardless, there’s clearly room for more. Looking forward, Front and Centered said that they’d like to see more examples of co-governance, wherein frontline communities work with state agencies to develop just and equitable solutions. “These are new ideas for state agencies,” he said. “There’s this cultural shift, where they’re recognizing and understanding the power of the community.”

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The Year’s Weirdest Ballot Battle: Corporations vs. a Rich Libertarian

Kate Aronoff, The New Republic | 11/4/2024

CCA; State Election Initiatives; I-2117; I-2066

Despite environmentalists’ reservations about the Climate Commitment Act, they’re strongly opposed to Let’s Go Washington’s efforts to repeal it, via I-2117. Many resent a right-wing millionaire’s effort to warp state politics and also note that the the cap-and-invest program has already invested nearly $2 billion in projects ranging from free bus transit for Washingtonians under 19 to floodplain conservation, ferries, and solar resilience hubs. If I-2117 prevails at the ballot box, there’ll be no alternative funding source for those initiatives. Among those is Front and Centered, a coalition of climate and environmental justice groups that opposed the Climate Commitment Act in 2021.

“2117 is moving a lot of money around, and 2066 is not,” says Front and Centered co-executive director Deric Gruen. The latter, he adds, is “fundamentally about the guaranteed use of fossil fuels, and those are different fights. They attract different things for different reasons.”…

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Charge up, Washington! State launches rebate program for electric vehicles

Diana Opong, KUOW | 8/1/2024

State Policy; Budget; Electric Vehicles

Industry professionals and advocates, including Cameron Steinback, climate justice program manager at Front and Centered, emphasized the program’s significance for climate justice and equity.

“Electrifying our transportation would benefit frontline communities who are disproportionately exposed to air pollution from diesel exhaust and oil extraction, which can lead to increased risk of heart disease, lung disease, and cancer,” Steinback said.

Front and Centered is made up of communities of color, Indigenous peoples, and low-income individuals on the frontlines of climate and environmental change.

The rebate program is set to transform EV adoption in Washington, backed by the installation of 5,000 new EV chargers statewide. Inslee noted that as EV prices continue to drop, the transition will become increasingly feasible for all residents…

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Washington’s controversial cap-and-trade program, explained. Really.

Natalia Mesa, High Country News | 3/20/2024

Cap and Trade; False Solutions; Linkage

Here’s where there’s a bit of friction. In October, the Environmental Justice Council, a body of 16 appointees whose job it is to advocate for communities overburdened by pollution, signed a letter to the Washington Department of Ecology recommending against linkage. […] In its letter, the council wrote that the department had not done enough to guarantee that [frontline] communities would indeed benefit from Washington joining markets with California and Quebec in its initial assessment of the consequences of linkage.

If allowance prices go down, the council wrote, polluters might not be motivated to actually cut emissions, and less revenue in the program could make it harder to find sufficient funding for decarbonization initiatives. Polluters might also be more likely to hoard allowances, so the council suggested putting an expiration date on them. “We still haven’t seen a good answer for how linkage would actually lead to reduced levels of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Nico Wedekind, a public interest environmental attorney at the nonprofit Front and Centered…

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WA lawmakers rush to show climate act’s value before it goes to ballot

Isabella Breda, The Seattle Times | 3/11/2024

Cap and Trade; False Solutions; Budget; Legislative Session

Front and Centered, an environmental justice group representing communities of color and people with lower incomes, says the state is still falling short of its obligations to communities saddled with a disproportionate amount of health, social and environmental inequities.

The Climate Commitment Act explicitly outlines that at least 35% of the revenue from the auctions should be used “in ways that benefit vulnerable populations in overburdened communities.” Another 10% is required to fund projects led by tribal nations.

The group’s preliminary analysis shows that only 21% of qualifying funds in the supplemental budget will directly benefit overburdened communities…

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Could WA lawmakers end developments like this one: a massive warehouse project in South Tacoma?

Isabella Breda, The Seattle Times | 2/24/2024

Pollution; Health Disparities; Legislative Session

WA Rep. Sharlett Mena, fueled by her experiences in her hometown and her current community, knew she wanted to take on legislation that would ensure neighborhoods that have borne the brunt of big polluting industries would have a say. Front and Centered, a nonprofit advocacy group representing communities of color, Indigenous peoples and people with lower incomes on the front lines of climate change, approached Mena with a similar ask.

She and the coalition drafted the bill that would require the agencies that oversee project review under the State Environmental Policy Act to conduct an environmental justice impact statement in communities that rank a seven or higher on the state’s Environmental Health Disparities map…

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Environmental justice groups voice concerns as WA carbon market linkage bill advances

Bellamy Pailthorp, KNKX | 2/14/2024

Cap and Trade; False Solutions; Legislative Session

But the environmental justice group Front and Centered, which represents communities that have been overburdened by climate pollution, said the linkage bill lacks important guarantees.

“We haven’t really seen a compelling argument for how linkage would actually lead to the reduction of emissions,” said Nico Wedekind, the group’s policy counsel.

“And similarly, we are concerned with the effects of linkage on local communities across the state, particularly those who have already been facing the most direct effects of climate change and fossil fuel pollution,” he said…

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Laws are trying to move beyond an environmental justice checklist

Ashli Blow, Prism | 1/23/2024

Pollution; Health Disparities; Legislative Session

The bill also builds on Washington state’s three-year-old Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act, which aims to address environmental justice by incorporating health and equity considerations into decision-making processes. The CURB Act fills a gap in the HEAL Act, as South Tacoma had recently experienced with industrial permitting.

”HEAL is a lot of information gathering, which can help an agency better think about what the consequences of their actions may be,” said Nico Wedekind, policy counsel for Front and Centered. “But it doesn’t attach at the permit level—the permits are not explicitly called out, and so that’s what we’re trying to get at here…”

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Washington sets out to merge its carbon market with California and Québec

Jerry Cornfield, Washington State Standard | 11/2/2023

Cap and Trade; False Solutions

Front and Centered, a nonprofit coalition of equity, environmental and climate justice organizations, has been a vocal critic.

“Linking carbon markets will only exacerbate the game of trading pollution in markets for the financial benefit of polluters, rather than focusing on the need to make tangible changes here in Washington State that address the harm continued pollution inflicts on our frontline communities,” Nico Wedekind wrote in a post on the group’s website last week…

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Are ‘overburdened’ communities getting fair share of WA climate funds?

Conrad Swanson, The Seattle Times | 10/16/2023

Cap and Trade; False Solutions; Legislative Session

But an analysis published last month by the environmental justice group Front and Centered is far less generous.

Up to 10.6% of the money budgeted (about $221 million) is allocated specifically or loosely to overburdened communities and 6.2% is allocated to the tribes, the nonprofit’s analysis indicates.

One of the reasons for the more than $700 million discrepancy is the way the budget lines are phrased, said the Policy Coordinator for Front and Centered. Line items not specifically designated for overburdened communities or tribes were not counted. Other budget items merely indicate that 40% of the funds will be “assumed” to benefit overburdened communities, he noted. “Based on historic injustices, it’s hard for us to assume those monies would flow.”

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How climate change drives hotter, more frequent heat waves

Joseph Winters, Grist | 7/11/2023

Heat; Clean Energy; Health Disparities

As heat waves worsen, so too does the sense of dread they bring to vulnerable populations. “Even before it happens, there’s a lot of anxiety,” said Esther Min, director of environmental health research partnerships for the nonprofit Front and Centered, a coalition of Washington state-based organizations led by communities of color. “It’s already brutal on the physical body when it is hot, but if you know it’s going to be difficult and you might not be able to escape it? … There’s that mental health aspect that I hear people these days talking about a lot more — that anxiety, that grief, that frustration.”

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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Biden Takes Action to Build Healthy Communities and Advance Environmental Justice

Briefing Room, The White House | 4/22/2023

Earth Day; Events

Rosalinda Guillen, Co-Chair, Front and Centered Community Council in Seattle, Washington: “Decades of community organizing in environmental justice communities have resulted in the progress we see today as evidenced by this executive order. Ultimately, it is frontline communities who will hold state policymakers and agencies accountable.”

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Celebrate Earth Day with these local environmental orgs

Noel Gasca, KUOW’s Soundside | 4/18/2023

Earth Day; Events

Maybe you’re looking to use more than just one day to volunteer or learn more about the environmental issues local communities are trying to address.

In that case, check out Front and Centered’s “Earth Deserves More Than Just A Day” event lineup.

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Here’s how Washington senators want to use climate dollars

Isabella Breda, The Seattle Times | 3/24/2023

Cap and Trade, Legislative Session

“Communities overburdened by pollution have been promised investments as a result of the Climate Commitment Act, but the Senate’s initial proposal has our frontline communities asking: where did those commitments go?” Deric Gruen, Front and Centered co-executive director of programs and policy said in a statement.

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View Past Coverage (Prior to 2023)

Media Releases

Release: Environmental Groups Probe EPA’s Abrupt Halt To Scientific Report On Cumulative Impacts Of Toxic Chemicals And Other Health Threats

5/29/2026 | Front and Centered stands with academic, state, and national environmental organizations this week to press the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reveal why the agency abruptly terminated a multi-year contract on Cumulative Impact Assessment without public notice or explanation. On May 26, 2026, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), with Earthjustice and the Environmental and Climate Justice Initiative at NYU Law, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the EPA to uncover information as to why the EPA stopped a multi-year project of such public importance without explanation.

The Front and Centered coalition has for years prioritized utilizing a cumulative health impact approach in the research, development, and implementation of policies that impact communities across Washington state, as many regulations fail to account for the combined and connected exposures facing families and neighborhoods overburdened by toxic chemicals and other health and environmental threats. ….

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Advisory: Climate and Environmental Justice Policy Analysts & Advocates Available to Media

5/18/2026 | Do you want to interview policy experts, researchers, and advocates who can speak to a growing portfolio of issues impacting the climate, environment, health, education, energy, water, transportation, pollution, and more? Are you looking for community and movement leaders who represent frontline communities—communities of color, Indigenous peoples, migrants and refugees, and people with lower incomes—in Washington State?

The Front and Centered coalition has an impressive bench of such experts and leaders who are available for media interviews and various speaking engagements, including panels, briefings, podcasts, videos, and more.

Front and Centered is the largest coalition of communities of color-led groups across Washington State who uses capacity building, leadership support, research and development, policy analysis, and advocacy to advance equity, climate justice, and environmental justice. ….

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Release: Longtime Front and Centered priority bill establishing low-income energy assistance program signed into law by WA Gov. Ferguson

3/31/2026 | Today, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson signed HB 1903, a bill establishing a new low-income energy bill assistance program for households across the state. The bill, championed by Washington State Rep. Sharlett Mena (D-29 LD) and the Front and Centered coalition of community-based organizations across Washington State who serve and advocate for frontline communities, received impressive bipartisan support during this legislative session with votes of 70-26 in the House and 35-13 in the Senate.

Gov. Ferguson’s budget proposal at the beginning of session included $30 million directed toward a one-time energy assistance package. “While any relief helps in a pinch, as energy costs continue to rise, Washingtonians need reliable, sustained, monthly support to access affordable energy and meet their livelihood needs,” said Aqsa Mengal, Front and Centered Climate and Clean Energy Policy Lead. “HB 1903 delivers exactly that. This new energy bill assistance program supplements existing ones, partners with local utilities, and is funded through the Climate Commitment Act through 2035.” ….

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Statement: Front and Centered Opposes Governor Ferguson’s Proposal to Redirect Climate Funds

1/12/2026 | “The Front and Centered coalition does not support Governor Ferguson’s proposal to shift the funding source for the Working Families Tax Credit entirely to the Climate Commitment Act,” said Guillermo Rogel Jr., Legislative and Government Relations Advocate at Front and Centered. “This move does not live up to the spirit of the law which is to transition us away from fossil fuels, assist overburdened communities as we transition into a clean energy economy, and hold industry accountable to the state’s climate goals. Governor Ferguson’s proposal sets a dangerous precedent where additional Climate Commitment Act revenue could be redirected to other programs.”

“Front and Centered has lobbied in support of the Working Families Tax Credit and we continue to be a part of its implementation. We understand the positive impact this has had on low-income households across the state, it’s a program that must be maintained and funded through the state’s general fund.”

“Voters in 2024 upheld the Climate Commitment Act with the understanding that cap-and-trade revenue would be invested in both climate solutions and communities hit first and hardest by the impacts of climate change. As a convener and representative of such communities across Washington State, we urge that Climate Commitment Act revenue go to where they were promised.” ….

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Statement: State Budget Must Not Overlook Frontline Communities and Environmental Justice

3/27/2025 | “Over the past three years, Front and Centered has urged the state legislature to uphold its commitment to the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act and the environmental justice provisions in the Climate Commitment Act by ensuring direct funding for overburdened communities,” said Guillermo Rogel Jr., Legislative and Government Relations Advocate at Front and Centered.

“While progress has been made, this year presents a troubling shift. Instead of explicitly prioritizing these communities in the budget, we see language and funding designations removed—putting at risk the state’s obligation to allocate 35% of funds, with a 40% goal, to those who need it most. Without these investments, the communities most vulnerable to climate change will be left without the resources to prepare for and respond to its growing impacts.

“The state cannot afford to delay these investments. The legislature has both a responsibility and a mandate to uphold its commitment to overburdened communities—and we will hold them accountable. The legislature and Governor Ferguson also have an opportunity to stand up for climate and environmental justice at a moment when science and communities are under attack from the federal administration.”….

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Legislature Short on Climate Commitments in State Budget, Agencies Must Pick Up Slack

8/21/2024 | In the 2024 Supplemental Budget that the state Legislature passed this year, $1.3 billion came from additional CCA revenue generated through cap-and-trade auctions. In our second year of budget analysis and using updated methodology that better distinguishes the intent behind budget provisos, we found that only 14.6% of the additional CCA revenue is directed to Vulnerable Populations within Overburdened Communities. This falls well short of the 35% requirement and 40% goal established in the CCA. The responsibility now falls on state agencies to rectify the legislature’s shortcomings and prioritize the allocation of benefits to Overburdened Communities.

Today, our coalition is launching the 2024 Frontline Report on HEAL Progress, which assesses agency implementation of the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act, a landmark bill that defines “environmental justice” in state law and expands opportunities for community collaborative governance (co-governance)….

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Did Legislature Live Up to Environmental Justice Promise in State Budget?

3/7/2024 | “Over the last 60 days, the Front and Centered Coalition provided budget writers in the legislature with priorities that help boost environmental and climate justice investments. While we see important wins for our community in this budget, we remain concerned that the legislature is not meeting its obligations to overburdened communities,” said Legislative and Government Relations Advocate Guillermo Rogel Jr.

“Front and Centered—along with our partners at the People’s Economy Lab, Statewide Poverty Action Network, and the Department of Social and Health Services—secured $2,000,000 in funding for Community Assemblies. These assemblies will amplify community expertise and solutions for budget and policy makers, focusing on sustainable investments aimed at fostering a more climate-resilient Washington…

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Advocating for Environmental Justice in the State Budget

12/13/2023 | “We are encouraged to see some advances on environmental justice priorities included in Governor Inslee’s proposed budget — at the same time these advances raise further questions for our frontline community coalition,” said Guillermo Rogel Jr., Legislative and Government Relations Advocate with Front and Centered.

“For example, funds being allocated toward community-led projects are promising, and we need to see that the details of such programs actually reflect community needs and priorities, including funds for community stewardship of the land and property for climate resilience. And while a one-time bill for energy assistance payments that will provide funds to the tune of $200 million is much needed relief for low-income families, we need permanent, consistent energy assistance that ensures no one is paying a disproportionate share of their income on energy bills, no matter their utility…

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Washington’s Largest Environmental and Climate Justice Coalition Gathers in Ellensburg for Annual Summit November 3-5

10/26/2023 | Front and Centered is bringing together its members plus partners, advocates, and academics to Central Washington University (CWU) for its largest ever membership summit to discuss critical challenges and solutions related to climate justice, environmental justice, and building power toward a Just Transition with an eye toward the 2024 Legislative Session.

The Front and Centered 2023 Members’ Summit: Soulful Solidarity will be hosted on the CWU campus in Ellensburg, WA, and aims to foster connections between diverse organizations and communities and ignite discussions and collaboration around solutions that pave the way for a more just and sustainable world…

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Community-based Organizations and Scientists Collaborate on Solutions to Health Disparities

7/20/2023 | Researchers from academic institutions, WE ACT, and the Front and Centered coalition in Washington have published their latest findings on environmental health disparities in the July 21 issue of the premier research journal Science. Titled “Air Quality Policy Should Quantify Effects on Disparities,” the paper verifies concerns that the Biden Administration’s Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool, or CEJST, does not sufficiently address racial disparities in exposure to air pollution. The paper reveals that if past trends in emission reductions were to continue into the future, racial-ethnic disparities in exposure would persist even as air pollution concentrations decrease…

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WA’s leadership echoes in D.C., but state budget and Gov.’s fulfillment of HEAL Act will be the measures of state progress toward environmental justice

4/21/2023 | On the eve of Earth Day 2023, President Biden signed a new Executive Order today, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, aiming to strengthen and expand interagency coordination around environmental justice.

In response, Front and Centered Community Council Co-Chair Rosalinda Guillen said the following: “Decades of community organizing in environmental justice communities have resulted in the progress we see today as evidenced by this executive order…

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Legislative Session Scorecard: Climate Funding Includes Important Investments in Environmental Justice, But Opportunities Remain Unfulfilled

3/23/2023 | Today the Washington State Legislature voted on its final 2023-2024 budget that includes important investments in frontline communities that experience the climate crisis first and worst. After years of advocacy and working to get legislators to understand the burden that communities of color and low income communities face, the legislature committed to 35% set aside benefiting frontline communities and 10% to tribal approval projects in previous sessions…

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View All Releases (2023 Onward)

Coalition Speakers Bureau

Are you looking for community and movement leaders who represent frontline communities in Washington State? Experts, researchers, and policy analysts from our coordination team and coalition are available for media interviews and speaking engagements, including panels, briefings, podcasts, videos, and more. See below for a selection of speakers who are building power and expertise rooted in solidarity and working together to advance a Just Transition.

To connect with any of our speakers, contact Charlie McAteer at [email protected].

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Celebrating Our First Decade

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Exposing False Solutions

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Youth in front of Duwamish River
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Esther Min

Team, Director of Community Innovation, Evaluation, and Learning
she/her/hers

Esther leads research and development and supports evidenced-based and data-driven work across Front and Centered programs. She brings experience developing environmental justice maps, facilitating community-government-academic partnerships, and supporting community-driven research and tool development. Her expertise is in applying environmental and climate justice principles in environmental public health research and practice including topics of cumulative impacts and pollution burden (such as air or water) and health equity.

Languages: English, Korean

Isabel Carrera Zamanillo

Team, Community Learning and Innovation Strategist
she/her/ella

Isabel is a Mexican biologist supporting community education efforts at Front and Centered. She has supported various climate justice projects in Mexico and the United States, incorporating ethnobiology and community-based participatory research methods. Isabel has also collaborated with a wide range of organizations in the design and management of STEM outreach programs and independent social justice projects, incorporating community and culturally responsive models. Isabel addresses gaps in environmental and climate justice education by co-creating community learning events and intergenerational games grounded in popular education and a co-learn, unlearn, and relearn approach, supporting collective action on pollution and climate change through inclusive, place-based strategies.

Languages: English, Spanish

Christina Estela Brown

Team, Environmental Justice & Climate Policy Integration Lead
she/ella/any 

Christina is an ecological economist and interdisciplinary environmental researcher focused on environmental justice and systems-level policy change. They have spent years studying wetlands, agroecosystems, and researching the socioeconomic impacts of environmental hazards, ecosystem services, and natural resource management. Her approach connects scientific and economic insights with real-world policy and community priorities, exploring how environmental, economic, and governance systems interact across issues like pollution, water management, climate impacts, and sustainable agriculture. As Environmental Justice Policy Coordinator, she brings an analytical, justice-centered perspective to bridging policy and community voices, helping ensure that complex environmental decisions are clearer, actionable, and meaningful in practice.

Languages: English, Spanish (conversational)

Jamie Hearn

Team, Climate and Community Planning Lead
she/her/hers

Jamie’s policy focus areas are transportation, land use, community resilience, and other planning work related to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resilience. This includes leading Front and Centered’s advocacy related to the Cumulative Risk Burden Reduction Act (CURB), the state’s transportation budget analysis, and siting and permitting processes. She has a background in environmental science and the intersections of environmental policy with tribal, land use, and administrative law.

Languages: English

James Lee

Team, Communications Advocacy Strategist
he/him/his

James is a communications specialist and marine ecologist dedicated to supporting community priorities through storytelling that challenges dominant narratives and advances the perspectives of those on the frontlines of environmental change. He has a master’s degree in marine and environmental affairs and his research has been published in The American Naturalist and Frontiers in Marine Science. James is from the San Francisco Bay Area, where he spent years organizing in support of shoreline restoration, eviction defense, and equitable access to green spaces. He is available to speak to audiences about Front and Centered and how the Just Transition framework underpins our work, and what communications means to frontline communities beyond press releases and media relations. He is also available to speak on coastal and shoreline ecosystems and the intersections of ecosystem restoration and community healing.

Languages: English, Korean (conversational), Japanese (conversational)

Aqsa Mengal

Team, Climate and Clean Energy Policy Lead
she/her/hers

Aqsa is a climate justice and environmental policy professional with experience advancing energy justice, community-centered adaptation, and international climate policy. She has worked on policy and advocacy that prioritize equity and justice for communities most impacted by environmental harms, both in the United States and across South Asia. As Climate and Clean Energy Policy Lead at Front and Centered, she leads efforts to ensure that our energy systems and climate solutions deliver real and tangible benefits to frontline communities and tackle structural inequities in environmental decision-making.

Languages: Brahui, Urdu, Pashto, English

Maiko Patschke

Team, Environmental Justice Policy Lead
she/her/hers

Maiko is an environmental policy specialist whose professional career began as an advocate for community-centered solutions to water quality concerns in New York State. She first came to Front and Centered as a graduate intern to monitor and develop recommendations for the effective implementation of the HEAL Act. Since becoming the Environmental Justice Analyst, she has led efforts in state budget analysis and community-led collaborative governance to address environmental health inequities in Washington State.

Guillermo Rogel Jr.

Team, Political Manager
he/him/his 

Guillermo works to advance the coalition’s short and long term legislative priorities. With a passion for education and advocacy, Guillermo has a demonstrated history of working in the Washington State Legislature collaborating with multiple statewide coalitions and environmental, social, and racial justice organizations to advocate for causes rooted in social and racial justice. Guillermo coordinates with our lobbyist to educate lawmakers in Olympia about the urgent need to address the climate crisis and invest in the well-being of those most affected by its impacts and keeps our community coalition informed and engaged so our statewide advocacy is best positioned to shape the present and future of environmental justice in the Evergreen State.

Languages: English, Spanish

Cameron Steinback

Team, Climate Justice Program Manager
he/him/his

Cameron is a visionary educator and systems thinker who leverages community knowledge, lived experience, and agency for a Just Transition into an equitable future. He brings expertise and skills from a diverse career in education, focusing on connecting communities to conservation, climate action, sustainable agriculture, and collaborative governance. He leads Front and Centered’s climate justice program, integrating issues and projects on energy, transportation, and climate resilience.

Leah Wood

Team, Community Innovation, Evaluation, and Learning Lead

she/her/hers

 

Deeply rooted in the Pacific Northwest, Leah is an environmental public health practitioner committed to uplifting and forwarding frontline community leadership, expertise, vision, and excellence in achieving environmental justice and health equity for all. As Community Innovation, Evaluation, and Learning Lead, she works to amplify and connect coalition member priorities across topics like water and energy justice to policy solutions. Leah brings unique perspective and expertise on frontline community engagement, community-driven research and evaluation, collaborative governance and community assemblies, and the many connections between climate and environmental justice and community health and wellbeing.

Languages: English, Khmer, Spanish (basic)