Washington State's HB 2341 allows the military to dictate what uses shall be allowed, and whether any development shall be allowed on any land in the State of Washington - including an expansion of military training exercises into private lands, forcing people to move. (Read article on Truthout.org)
Any commander of any military installation operating within or adjacent to Washington State would have the sole authority to determine whether incompatibility in land use exists. This means, of course, that if a commander determines that your land is obstructing any military operations at all, the commander can impact pretty much what your outcome will be — and it can include forcing you to move.
According to Truthout.org's reporter Dahr Jamail, “Washington State's HB 2341 essentially cedes control of land use to the commanders of military bases by way of granting the Department of Defense (DOD) the status of equal partner in planning, under Washington State's Growth Management Act. This creates a structure that solidifies the status of the DOD as an equal partner in any planning for land use, transportation planning and spending priorities.”
I am fully supportive of our military, its required training, and the protection they offer to us all, but we also have to protect our own properties and farmlands that we have worked so hard to get. That is what democracy is all about, the freedom to own and work our lands without any fear of losing it.
Please sign a petition to let our WA State Legislators asking them to reject this atrocious bill. This is not a democratic process and they may well be in violation of our state's constitution. We have until Thursday, January 25th at 8:00 AM to submit our comments. Please act now!