A coalition of liberal groups filed a ballot proposal to tax carbon dioxide emissions in the wake of similar bills failing to get enough votes in Washington state’s legislature.
Activists will try for a third time to impose a carbon tax in Washington, The Associated Press reported. Groups will need about 260,000 signatures from voters to a carbon tax on the November ballot.
“Washington voters, communities, and businesses are demanding strong and effective action on climate pollution and today’s filing starts the process for the people of Washington to act,” the pro-carbon tax coalition said in a statement issued March 2.
The ballot proposal was filed one day after state lawmakers failed to pass carbon tax legislation.
Gov. Jay Inslee and state Sen. Reuven Carlyle, both Democrats, admitted in early March they didn’t have the votes to pass a carbon tax. Inslee’s plan would have taxed emissions at $12 a ton, increasing $2 a year above inflation.
The bill was projected to raise $766 million, which would be spent on green energy programs, forest management, and other programs. Some of the funds would have been used to offset higher energy costs for poor families.
However, carbon tax opponents argued there were many flaws with Inslee’s plan, including the myriad of exemptions granted to politically favored industries.
The carbon tax bill would have exempted dozens of industries, from jet fuel to mayonnaise makers, from having to pay higher prices, according to Todd Myers of the free market Washington Policy Center.
Also, the @Conserve_WA carbon tax removes the exemption for “Mayonnaise, dressing, and other prepared sauce manufacturing” that was in the legislature’s carbon tax. They now have a powerful enemy in Big Mayo. #waleg
— Todd Myers🐝 (@WAPolicyGreen) March 5, 2018
In the end, Democrats couldn’t muster the votes to bring Inslee’s carbon tax plan to the floor. In response, the coalition — made up of environmentalists, labor unions, Native Americans and others — filed a ballot measure proposal.
This time, activists think they have a greater chance of getting a carbon tax enacted. Some of the interest groups opposed to the 2016 carbon tax ballot measure support the new proposal.
“This initiative has a price mechanism but also takes the majority of the fees collected and invests it in driving carbon pollution down,” Washington State Labor Council President Jeff Johnson told the AP.
Read more at Daily Caller
“Activists Try For A THIRD Time To Foist Carbon Tax On Washington State”
Why tax people for using reliable energy to subsidize “sometimes available” green energy? If your right and you know it just do it!!
Just cut to the chase and ban all carbon based energy sources in the state and let the voters live with that!! What could go wrong????
Lets place a special tax on stupidity so these liberal actvists have to pay a special tax on their own stupidity
I don’t know the details of this initiative but the first initiative would have cost our family $5,000 a year after the rates reached their full value.
I was even tricked into signing the petition for the first initiative. I was told that it was to prevent the legislature from imposing carbon taxes. You can bet this new one will not be honestly represented while gather signatures. People will probably be told it is a measure to reduce pollution and “tax” won’t even be mentioned.
I hope Washington voters remain hostile to taxes as has been the case in past elections.
People in Washington need to look no further than British Columbia (BC) who’s Liberal government imposed a carbon tax . The tax was supposed to be tax neutral (lie ) and was to only be imposed if it did not undermine BC’s competitiveness which it most certainly has . Hence all the drivers that go into Washington to fill up their vehicles . BC has the highest gasoline cost in North America and you would have to have a screw lose to locate an energy using business in BC .
The carbon tax is an optical illusion , a slight of hand rip off .
The tax on nature gas is $1.48 while the commodity itself is currently $1.55 .
Washington benefits from a carbon tax … when it’s imposed
in the Canadian province of BC . The ECO Anarchists that run BC
will be satisfied when they have killed industry and hollowed out the middle class .
Washington voters don’t get duped .