Washington voters rejected a ballot measure backed by a vast coalition of liberal groups to tax carbon dioxide emissions from in-state fossil fuel combustion.
The measure, called Initiative 1631, is the third attempt to impose a carbon tax in Washington state.
Voters rejected a similar ballot measure in 2016, and carbon tax legislation failed earlier in 2018. –Michael Bastasch, The Daily Caller, 7 November 2018
Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida lost re-election Tuesday to his Democrat challenger, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Climate change is a top priority for Curbelo, who has regularly criticized President Trump on several issues. Curbelo introduced legislation in July that taxes carbon emissions, the first substantive climate legislation by a Republican in a decade. The prospect of bipartisan climate policy, something many independent experts say is necessary to make substantive progress on the issue, drops significantly with Curbelo exiting Congress. –Amy Harder, Axios, 7 November 2018
Florida Rep. Carlos Curbelo, who supports a carbon tax, was among defeated House Republicans who are part of a caucus set up to push global warming policies. Curbelo conceded to Democratic candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell on Tuesday night. Conservatives say the defeat of Curbelo, who’s called a GOP “leader” on global warming, shows how carbon taxes are still “politically toxic.” —The Daily Caller, 7 November 2018
Climate change is getting crowded out by other issues among voters’ priorities in Tuesday’s midterm elections, with a sizable majority saying the issue won’t influence their vote, according to year-long polling data. —The Washington Examiner, 6 November 2018
A renewable energy initiative was rejected by Arizona voters Tuesday, dealing a major blow to environmental activists who hoped to increase the state’s development of wind and solar resources. —The Daily Caller, 7 November 2018
I live in the Cascade Foot Hills and unfortunately in the State of Washington. I was very concerned about the impact of 1631 because the polls I read said it was leading by double digit percentages. It would have directly impacted our cost of gasoline, electric power, and propane. It was designed to increase each year forever. The only provision for stopping the increases was if the state met the emission goals for 2030 which will never happen. Indirect costs would be high fuel for delivering goods to businesses, high costs for power for businesses, all of which would be passed on to consumers.
When people pay more for gasoline, electric power, natural gas or propane, where does that money come from? It certainly doesn’t come from an increase in income. It comes from fewer trips to the movie theater and waiting for the blue ray to come out. There is less use of restaurants. The health club membership might not be renewed. Fewer clothes are purchased. The new TV may not be purchased for a few more years. What this all adds up to is artificially inflated energy prices is a huge parasite on an economy and weakens it.
It should be alarming to everyone that democrats think taxation of energy is a “market solution”. The Washington carbon tax is another way of saying you have too much freedom and keep too much of your own money. It’s also fraud because none of these thieves can prove the taxes have any impact on climate let alone any impact on “climate change”.
The voters of the state know better then a bunch of Granola Bar Muncher’s and Tree hugging Eco-Wackos they don’ t need a stupid tax on CO2 which plants need to survive and therefore is good for the planet