State Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, was recently appointed to serve as the top Republican on the House Capital Budget Committee after previously serving as the assistant ranking member since he was sworn into the Legislature in 2021.
Currently in his second term in the state House, Abbarno is one of two assistant floor leaders for the House Republicans, alongside Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, and serves as a member of the House Environment and Energy Committee and the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee.
"I am proud of our work on the capital budget over the past three years, and I look forward to serving as the ranking member and further investing in communities across the state," Abbarno said. "Capital Budget is a unique fiscal committee in which local communities identify a problem and work with the state Legislature on finding and funding solutions. It is truly a community-up, not Olympia-down, process."
The Capital Budget Committee is one of three fiscal committees in the state House, alongside the Appropriations and Transportation committees. The capital budget adopted during the 2023 legislative session appropriated nearly $9 billion for communities across Washington state. The committee considers construction and repair of public buildings and other long-term investments, such as land acquisitions and transfers, and considers bills related to public works contracting, state buildings and land, and the authorization of state debt. The committee also considers grants and loans to local governments and nonprofits for infrastructure, broadband, housing, and cultural and heritage facilities.
As a member of the House Environment and Energy Committee, Abbarno considers issues related to air quality, aquatic lands, oil spill prevention, solid waste, hazardous waste, toxics, climate change, energy, Puget Sound and land use impacts to environmental quality.
In his capacity as a member of the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee, he deals with issues relating to industrial insurance, unemployment compensation, collective bargaining, family leave, safety and health standards, occupational health, and employment standards such as wage laws and employment discrimination. The committee also considers issues related to the building and construction trades.
"The committees I serve on have an important and direct impact on the citizens of the 20th Legislative District and Southwest Washington," Abbarno said. "I look forward to working on real solutions for communities and working families. These committees provide an opportunity to create economic growth and improve the quality of life for all Washingtonians."
In addition to being elevated to the top Republican position on the House Capital Budget Committee, the Washington Green Hydrogen Alliance (WGHA) named Abbarno as a recipient of their Washington Green Hydrogen Legislative Champion Award, according to a statement released by Abbarno on Monday.
The goal of the WGHA is to make Washington state the country’s number one source and user of green hydrogen, which is used in all forms of zero emission transportation, including light to heavy duty vehicles and marine and aviation fuels, as well as in manufacturing and other industrial applications.
"It's an honor to be recognized for my work on hydrogen policy and alternative fuels," Abbarno said. "To be successful, I strongly believe Washington needs a diverse energy portfolio, and that's going to include hydrogen. Hydrogen is an emerging source of transportation fuel, electric storage and energy production, and manufacturing and industrial energy. And importantly, the production and use of hydrogen will open the door to new educational and workforce opportunities in the clean energy innovation economy."
Through his work as co-chair of the Hydrogen Caucus and now as the newly appointed top Republican on the House Capital Budget Committee, Abbarno said he’s been working to make Washington state an international hydrogen hub.
"Representative Abbarno has seen the future of hydrogen as a key and necessary component in our clean energy transition and that can be produced right here in the state," said Dave Warren, director of government relations for WGHA. "WGHA is proud to honor Representative Abbarno with its first Legislative Champion award along with his Hydrogen Caucus co-founder Representative David Hackney. Together they have championed bipartisan legislation that has advanced unanimously in the Legislature. They've successfully advocated for funding for hydrogen related projects in their districts, while raising awareness among their fellow legislators about the role that hydrogen can and must play in keeping Washington state at the forefront of the clean energy transition."
Abbarno was the prime sponsor of House Bill 1729, a measure that passed with unanimous support that would have created and expanded tax incentives for developing and selling hydrogen fuel products. However, HB 1729 failed to pass the state Senate before the end of the 2023 legislative session.
He also cosponsored House bills 1236, 1505 and 1792, which sought to provide additional support for the hydrogen industry.
As a member of the House Capital Budget Committee, Abbarno helped secure funding in the 2021 capital budget for Washington’s first hydrogen refueling station in Chehalis.
In his statement, Abbarno also criticized Gov. Jay Inslee’s decision to veto a portion of the transportation budget for the 2023-2025 biennium meant to increase the state’s investments in hydrogen fueling stations in disadvantaged communities for passenger, light-truck and heavy-duty vehicles. Abbarno called the veto “disappointing and counter-productive to Washington’s clean energy transportation goals.”
"Our victory securing funding for the Chehalis refueling station in 2021 is all for naught if we don't continue to invest in hydrogen infrastructure," Abbarno said. "We're seeing our state bookended by places like California, with their advancements in hydrogen refueling stations and zero-emission vehicles, as well as British Columbia with their hydrogen highway. If we don't act now, Washington is in danger of becoming a hydrogen dead spot and missing out on economic benefits and commercial possibilities."
