Emily Clouse, Thurston County Commissioner District 5

04/08/2026

Today, I had the opportunity to attend and speak at the dedication of the James P. Werner Air Quality Monitoring Station at Mountain View Elementary in my role as Vice Chair of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency.

This new monitoring station recognizes the legacy of James P. Werner, whose decades of work helped improve air quality monitoring across our region. His commitment to public health and environmental protection continues to make a lasting impact in our community.

I am grateful for the opportunity to honor his contributions and to support continued efforts to ensure clean, healthy air for all.

03/31/2026

Happy Transgender Day of Visibility!
March 31st is a globally recognized day to honor transgender and gender noncomfoming joy, resilience, and humanity. This important day is a call for celebration, and serves as an opportunity for allies to show their support and solidarity with our transgender friends, family members, and neighbors. Trans rights are human rights—and to our transgender and gender nonconformity community members—the world is so much better with you in it. 🩷🤍💙

This year, there are some critical opportunities to show up for our transgender communities through policy advocacy, supporting trans-led and trans-serving organizations, and at the ballot box.

In November, Washington voters will see initiative IL26-638 on their ballots. This deeply restrictive and harmful initiative would eliminate transgender girls’ opportunities to participate in school sports. It would also require ALL girls to participate in invasive medical verification procedures including unnecessary examinations.

Washington State is served by some amazing trans-led organizations including:
Lavender Rights Project—a Black, transgender led organization dedicated to advancing the rights, dignity, and liberation of Black transgender, gender diverse, and Two Spirit people through intersectional legal advocacy.

Utopia Washington is another transgender led organization that centers transgender Pacific Islanders and provides culturally grounded resources and direct services including housing assistance, healthcare navigation, and re-entry support for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) is an organization founded by transgender and q***r immigrants and refugees, building collective power and providing care and resources to our immigrant and refugee neighbors.

Photo from: IG

02/12/2026

This month’s Virtual Office Hours event is cancelled. I look forward to future opportunities to connect with the community. In the meantime, you can reach out with questions or to request a meeting with me at [email protected].

02/03/2026

Do the train horns disturb your sleep? Or do they hurt your ears? We can create a Quiet Zone on Atchinson Road, where the trains toot their horns. Imagine the peace and quiet. We need all who can hear the train horns, write personal testimonial letters (emails) to the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners and speak at the meetings. We will help guide you through the process and will give you the contact information. Contact us at [email protected]

Train image by Dianna Evans.

01/19/2026

During a time of increasing violence targeting immigrant communities, one actionable response is to observe and inform each other of what is going on in our communities. I strongly encourage all interested community members to get involved in groups like Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network to learn how to safely advocate for those currently being targeted.

This morning, I responded to a community alert about potential ICE activity in Lacey. When I arrived on scene, I was relieved to discover that it was not federal agents. I observed several local law enforcement agencies responding to a domestic violence incident involving weapons.

As a reminder, we have a constitutional right to observe and record police activity in public spaces, as long as we don't interfere with their work. This right has been affirmed repeatedly by courts and is essential for accountability. When documenting law enforcement activity, maintain a reasonable distance, remain calm, and clearly state you're exercising your First Amendment rights if questioned. However, safety must always come first — both yours and others'.

In this instance, upon notifying those who reported the activity and confirming the situation, I left the area and chose to delete the video. I’ve shared additional resources here for continued awareness!

01/19/2026

Last few days to donate winter clothing items! Clearing out clothes you no longer wear? Now’s a great time to drop them off at one of our two locations! Addresses and info on the flyer 🤗

🧤🧣Last week for winter clothing drive!

Please consider donating new or gently used clothing before Friday, January 23.
Donation bins located in The Atrium and the Lilly Road building lobbies.
-Warm clothing – coats, sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves, etc.
-All sizes for adults and kids welcome
-Adult sizes M-XXL needed most

01/19/2026

In Thurston County, leaders are discussing the use of AI tools like Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) at a moment when people across the country are increasingly concerned about privacy, surveillance and the misuse of artificial intelligence.

I recently spoke directly with Senator Yasmin Trudeau (WA-27), the prime sponsor of SB 6002 (with HB 2332 as the companion bill). This legislation is actively moving this session and is expected to take effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature, likely in early April. It sets statewide rules for AI-enabled surveillance, including enforcement, limits on data retention and sharing and bans on uses like immigration enforcement and monitoring protests.

Because this state law is imminent and comprehensive, several cities have already paused local action to avoid passing policies that may be quickly overridden. I have proposed a similar temporary pause for Thurston County.

On Tuesday, January 20, the Board of County Commissioners will consider an item that could be directly affected: a Memorandum of Understanding with the Washington State Patrol on data sharing and storage. I am asking the Board to postpone action until the state law is in place. Take a look at complete memo in comments for more info.

📸 : Senator Yasmin Trudeau in the Washington State Capitol

01/09/2026

Looking forward to this afternoon’s virtual town hall! I hope to see you there!

01/07/2026

I’m thrilled to announce that I will be hosting the first Virtual Town Hall of 2026 this Friday, January 9, from 2:30 to 4:00 PM. I am also excited to be joined by Commissioner Tye Menser of District 3. This month’s main topic will focus on legislative priorities, and we will open the floor for questions and discussion. You are welcome to join at any point during the meeting.

We have added a sign up for this event. The QR code and link included on the flier and below will take you to the registration page.

If you experience any access issues on the day of the event, please contact my Executive Aide, AJ Mai, at [email protected], and we will be happy to assist.

Hope to see you there.

Friday, January 9
2:30 to 4:00 PM
Join via QR code or use the direct link: https://tinyurl.com/bdf9smy4

01/05/2026

Hi everyone, what a year it’s been! I hope you and your families had a healthy and happy holiday season and are off to a good start in the new year. I want to share some of the Board of County Commissioners’ accomplishments from 2025 and what I’m looking forward to in the year ahead.

I have prioritized engaging directly with the public in service of the public good. That’s included bringing together interested Thurston County residents for a police accountability work group, launching a monthly town hall to give people direct access to me for questions and concerns, and responding to public demand that I fight to keep Joint Animal Services fully funded - and won.

As Chair of the Regional Housing Council, I led a regional effort to adopt a new mission, vision, and set of values grounded in community needs. This work was shaped by direct input from people with lived experience of housing instability and from local housing providers, ensuring the council’s priorities reflect real conditions on the ground.

I worked with fellow commissioners, staff, and community partners to complete our comprehensive plan update, with key focuses on land use, housing and transportation. Community input strengthened the plan’s emphasis on compact growth, reduced sprawl, and transportation choices that cut greenhouse gas emissions. Next, I’m focused on advancing practical tools like home energy scores and stronger efficiency standards that help residents lower energy use and costs.

In 2026, I want to engage in conversations with residents about how county government can work better–from reducing expensive barriers to building more housing, to exploring a county charter that strengthens accountability. In all that I do, my focus is on rebuilding public trust, increasing transparency, and ensuring the system serves the people it was created to represent.

I want to take a closer look at how surveillance tools are used within the county, like automated license plate readers–specifically how data is collected, stored, accessed, and shared, and what limits or prohibitions are needed to protect civil liberties. More broadly, I want to continue strengthening accountability in our law and justice system by utilizing the Law and Justice Council’s data work group to improve transparency.

I also want to continue strengthening the county’s role in climate and environmental stewardship by supporting the work of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency and ensuring our climate staff have the capacity they need to deliver results. I see real opportunity in partnerships, like a stronger collaboration between the Port and the County to support a circular economy that reduces waste and creates local jobs. Just as important, I want the county to do more to support behavior change by giving residents clear, practical information about how individual actions - from energy choices to waste reduction - can meaningfully contribute to climate solutions.

It’s been an honor serving as your commissioner, and I’m excited to continue the work in 2026!