Washington's nitrogen dioxide emissions were higher than Oregon's, but fewer than Alaska's. By throwing money at imaginary sensible Republicans and Boeing, I-732 adapts us for nothing. Editor's Note: Washington begins mailing ballots to voters on Oct. 21. Court of Appeals | Our state faces a $5 billion deficit and court orders to meet basic education and mental health needs. Energy prices would rise, but the measure would induce investments in clean energy, giving Washington a head start in technology competition. 1-732 is a simple step in the right direction. The state's northern neighbor, British Columbia, implemented a carbon tax in 2008, and this served as a base model for Initiative 732. 732). [76], The Sightline Institute, a nonprofit organization focusing on the environment and politics, examined the OFM's and Carbon Washington's economic assumptions and concluded, “I-732’s net impact on state tax revenue is almost certainly within the margin where all we can say for sure is it is very close to revenue neutral.”[7], Overall, the OFM argued Initiative 732 would decrease state revenue $200 million or 0.95 percent per year. My thoughts on Initiative 732, Washington’s proposed carbon tax There’s been a lot of ink spilt about the CarbonWA proposal to introduce a carbon tax in Washington State. Financial regulation | INITIATIVE 732 p. 1 INITIATIVE 732. He pointed out that Audubon Washington did and arrived at supporting Initiative 732. The Sightline Institute labeled the measure "very close to revenue neutral," contending it would have decreased revenue $78 million or 0.37 percent per year.[7]. Emissions fell in the years following before rising again until 2007, when emissions began plummeting. Most manufacturing businesses are taxed at a rate of 0.484 percent of their gross income, but some manufacturers pay lower rates. [72], Alberta, another Canadian province, implemented a carbon tax in 2017. [70], The economic impacts have been negligible according to the Carbon Tax Center and economists at Duke University and the University of Ottawa. [56], As of January 12, 2017, the following were the top five donors in support of this initiative:[56], The following ballot question committees registered to oppose this initiative as of January 12, 2017. I-732 would cut sales and business taxes commensurate with a tax on carbon pollution in a revenue-neutral approach to attacking the single largest cause of climate warming. Second, it risks turning climate change into a one-party issue. In August 2016, Elway Poll released data showing 34 percent of respondents in support of and 37 percent opposed to Initiative 732. Ballot measure laws | The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) for 2016 and 2017 would be issued June 30, 2018. The Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki said of climate change that "[w]e're a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyone’s arguing over where they’re going to sit." We respect the work and passion of those who have fought to bring carbon pricing to Washington State this year–those who gathered signatures for I-732 did a great service to the climate movement by engaging people in discussions about climate change and the role of carbon pricing in solving it. [4], As of March 2016, Washington was one of the 45 states that did not mandate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at the state level. Congressional delegation | Recent analyses show that the proposal would cost the state over $914 million over four years in lost revenue. The measure, called Initiative 732, isn’t just any carbon tax, either. The chart below shows cash donations and expenditures current as of January 12, 2017. ... I-732 has not been compromised by special interests... it would reduce the sales tax 15 percent — from 6.5 percent to 5.5 percent — and funds a Working Families Tax Credit for low-income families. Energy | The business and occupation tax rate varies by the type of business or occupation. Given the urgency of the climate crisis, this was not a decision reached lightly. In July, the Washington state chapter of the Audubon society made waves when it publicly endorsed Initiative 732, something few visible environmental groups had done. This would make the transition to clean energy easier for families. What's on my ballot? This revenue-neutral measure offers the most progressive change in our tax code in decades and represents a bipartisan effort that rejects ideology. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. ... You might assume these environmental groups were making the perfect the enemy of the good. Below are detailed results for the initiative. Marc Lee, Senior Economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said, "... don't believe the hype on B.C. Jock A. Finlayson, head of policy at the Business Council of British Columbia, stated, "We were not very happy when it was first announced... [Now,] within the business community there is a sizable constituency saying this is O.K." [28], According to reports through January 12, 2017, the top donor in support of this initiative, Peter Kelly, provided approximately 4 percent of the campaign's total funds. Most of all, we hope that the divisiveness that has marked this fight subsides. Besides its impact to Washington families, Initiative 732 is poorly worded and will take money away from state investments in education and health care. United States leadership is indispensable, and national action is spurred by successful regional efforts. No, [I-732] is not perfect. Voters in Washington State rejected a controversial ballot initiative Tuesday that would have created the country’s first tax on carbon, a critical tool to combat global warming. [8], Over 50 professors at the University of Washington signed a letter in support of Initiative 732. The office said it took into account elasticity. It is an absolute tragedy." Healthcare | A Department of Revenue analysis found I-732 will cut funding available for education, health care, and other vital services by $797 million over the next six years. It was a decision the group labored over for more than a year, convening meeting after meeting at both the state and local level to gauge members’ feelings about the carbon tax. Our current tax system hits lower- and middle-income families hardest. I-732 funds the Working Families Tax Rebate (WFTR), providing up to $1,500 a year to 460,000 low-income working families. Initiative 732 would phase in the new tax at $25 a ton to start, reaching that price at the end of its first two years in 2018. It can raise much-needed resources for clean energy research and development and transit; it can help us invest in communities that will be the hardest hit by climate impacts. Undecided voters composed 28 percent of the sample. The two campaigns are Initiative 732 by Carbon Washington for a carbon tax and Initiative 735 by WAmend to amend the US Constitution to overturn the corporate “Citizens United” decision by the US Supreme Court. Initiative 732 was unnecessary. This is equivalent to about a 25 cent increase per gallon of gasoline. CMQ/OE, President, Impact BioEnergy, Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks North America, Yoram Bernet, Co-Founder and CEO, Scope 5, Jesse Berst, Chairman, Smart Cities Council, Julie Blazek, AIA, LEED AP, Partner, HKP Architects, Patrick Callahan, CEO, Urban Renaissance Group LLC, Tad Everhart, Owner, Tad Everhart Energy Advisor LLC and President, CertiPHIers Cooperative, Burt Hamner, Founder & President, HydroBee, Eric Hull, Co-Founder & General Manager, Banner Power Solutions, Guy Knoblich, Co-Founder & General Manager, Banner Power Solutions, Srirup Kumar, President & Co-founder, Community Supported Biocycling, Bill Lemon, investment banker and adjunct professor of finance at Pinchot University, Evan Leonard, Vice President, Artisan Electric, Carla Reich, Owner, Honey Crumb Cake Studio, Jigar Shah, Co-Founder and President of Generate Capital, Inc., Founder and former CEO of SunEdison, Edward W. Sheets, President of Ed Sheets Consulting, Rahul Shendure, Co-founder and CEO, Oscilla Power, Michael J. Smith Jr., Business Development Advisor at Impact Bioenergy, Deborah Todd, CSBA, LEEDap, Owner, Building Design Services. The letter was as follows:[18]. The tax would have been phased in more slowly for farmers and nonprofit transportation providers. The duo said:[32], I-732 is not revenue neutral and dangerously pits climate activism against funding for education and basic human services. Initiative 732 would incentive clean-energy technology competition and accelerate the transition to renewable energy by putting a tax on fossil fuels. [5], The designers of Initiative 732 sought to neither increase nor decrease state revenues. [74][75] Carbon Washington issued a response. Specifically, the measure was intended to decreases the sales and business and occupation tax rates and increase tax credits for low-income households in exchange for revenue created by the carbon tax. (1,760 of 2,000 precincts). It uses the money polluters pay to lower sales taxes, saving the average family hundreds of dollars a year. [8], Shi-Ling Hsu, a professor specializing in environmental and natural resource law at Florida State University, responded to opponents' claims that Initiative 732 is not good for low-income households. What a carbon tax can do is help us adapt. It would reduce the sales tax rate by one percentage point over two years, increase a low-income sales tax exemption, and reduce certain manufacturing taxes. Initiative 732 would have established a tax on carbon emissionsat $15 per metric ton of emissions in July 2017, $25 in July 2018, and then 3.5 percent plus inflation each year until the tax reaches $100 per metric ton. [63][64], In July 2015, Governor Jay Inslee (D) directed the state's Department of Ecology to consider a mandatory cap on greenhouse gas emissions in the state in order to achieve the legislature's goals passed in 2008. State constitution, Courts in Washington | Whether I-732 succeeds or fails, we hope that we can all work together to make sure that we unite behind ambitious and equitable carbon pricing as soon as possible. It only refers to “electricity consumed” within the state. Washington has shown how to lead the way in reducing carbon emissions. [4], Initiative 732 would have established a tax on carbon emissions at $15 per metric ton of emissions in July 2017, $25 in July 2018, and then 3.5 percent plus inflation each year until the tax reaches $100 per metric ton. Other arguments against the measure included: Rich Stolz, Executive Director of One America, Jill Mangaliman, Executive Director of Got Green, Jeffrey Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Rosalinda Guillen, Executive Director of Community to Community, Tukwila City Councilmember De’Sean Quinn, and Rebecca Saldana, Executive Director of Puget Sound SAGE, wrote the argument in opposition to Initiative 732 found in the state's voter guide. Light trucks are pickup trucks, some sport utility vehicles, or minivans of up to 8,500 pounds used primarily for the transportation of people and cargo. Washington ultimately withdrew from the WCI under Governor Gregoire (D) in 2011, along with Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. Local tax revenue would increase by $156.1 million. [8], Some environmental organizations chose to "not support" Initiative 732, rather than opposing the measure. I-732 will make Washington’s budget mess worse. [8], The following video advertisements were produced by Carbon Washington:[26], No on 732 led the campaign in opposition to Initiative 732. Protecting our air, water, and climate just can’t wait. Note from Alan: As I explained previously, Washington’s Initiative 732 has divided climate hawks so deeply that even writing about it is a task we undertake with trepidation. Lee also criticized how the carbon tax mostly decreased corporate income taxes to remain revenue-neutral. Dallas Burtraw. Aug. 1, 2017, 11:27 AM ET, 2,855,638 votes, In 2016, a group of climate activists put an initiative for a revenue-neutral carbon tax on the November ballot in Washington State. [67][68], In 2007, under then-Governor Christine Gregoire (D), Washington joined the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), originally a group of seven states and four Canadian provinces (as of 2016, California was the only U.S. state that remained in the WCI). California's will fall due to policies. Ballotpedia features 319,543 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Inslee took these steps to enforce caps on greenhouse gas emissions after other proposals stalled in the Washington State Senate, which was controlled by Republicans at the time. [56], As of January 12, 2017, the ballot question committee registered to support this initiative received in-kind donations in the amount of $604,195.04. It also would reduce the state sales tax rate, reduce the business and occupation tax rate on manufacturing, and fund a partial sales tax exemption for low-income families. Carbon Washington, the campaign supporting Initiative 732, outraised opponents two-to-one. Taking this into account would reduce the OFM's estimate of a $421 million cost in 2018 to a $157.7 million cost. State executives | Passenger vehicles are cars that carry a limited number of passengers (usually no more than nine). Makes Polluters Pay. Public pensions | The money raised would be used to fund tax cuts and tax rebates throughout the state. The carbon emission tax would apply to electricity producers, but only on the proportion of electricity produced using fossil fuels. ... As atmosphere, ocean, and earth scientists we are deeply concerned about the consequences of man-made climate change. [2][3] In 2011, Washington ranked 28th in carbon emissions nationwide. If it passes, Washington will be the first state in the country to enact a tax on carbon emissions. The activists want micromanagement. As the Working Families Tax Credit is distributed at anytime during the calendar year, the institute estimated its cost in increments across the months. And that is a tragedy. I-732 ignores this. The four argued:[35]. 732 concerns taxes. Elements of the coalition that environmentalists have assembled want “green jobs” programs, initiatives aimed specifically at communities of color, infrastructure that labor unions favor, and so forth. I-732 reduces emissions by taxing carbon dioxide, the main form of global warming pollution. Initiative 732 would lower the state’s regressive sales tax and increase tax credits to low-income working families. Initiative 732 would cause cause household electricity costs to increase. And it returns the money polluters pay to everyone’s pocket by lowering other taxes. The rest of Canada reduced per capita emissions 3.7 percent during the same period. A new carbon emission tax would start July 1, 2017. The carbon emission tax would be phased in more slowly for some kinds of fuel used for specific purposes. Audubon Washington believes Initiative 732 provides swift and effective action to reduce carbon pollution. | The tax would on exported power would generate about $94 million per year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with issuing regulations for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to deal with climate change. [28], As of January 12, 2017, the ballot question committees registered to oppose this initiative received in-kind donations in the amount of $14,545.71. [8], Even if voters reject this particular initiative, the idea of putting a price on carbon is still one of the most straightforward, economy-friendly ways to deal with climate change.[8]. Global temperature in 2015 was the highest on record and is likely to be exceeded this year. This results from implementing a new carbon tax, reducing the state retail sales tax rate by 1 percentage point and reducing certain manufacturing business and occupation taxes. Burning fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas) produces carbon dioxide, which can trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Initiative 732 was a bipartisan approach that would help build consensus and address the threat of climate change. In Seattle, 51 percent supported the initiative. Supreme Court | The legislature chooses whether to enact the measure, send it to the 2016 ballot alone, or send it to the ballot alongside an alternative proposition. [8], Carbon Washington led the campaign in support of Initiative 732. In October 2016, Elway Poll surveyed 502 registered voters. It was no surprise that the fossil fuel industry worked hard to defeat Initiative 732 (I-732). House of Representatives | But the measure was also opposed by several progressive advocacy groups and even environmental groups.In the end, the measure received only 42 percent of the vote. For a summary of in-kind donations, click here. It accelerates the shift to clean energy like solar, wind, and hydropower. I-732 puts a price on carbon pollution from fossil fuels like coal and oil, but not on clean energy like solar and wind. There is no state tax on carbon dioxide emissions in Washington. Enthusiastic grassroots climate activists across the state gathered more than 300,000 signatures to get I-732 on the ballot. [4], Washington had higher carbon dioxide emissions from power plants than Alaska, but fewer emissions than Oregon. 14 House Bill 2768. This measure was designed to impose a carbon emission tax on certain fossil fuels and fossil-fuel-generated electricity, reduce the sales tax by one percentage point, increase a low-income exemption, and reduce certain manufacturing taxes. Our reason, above all, is that we want to support our allies in people-of-color-led climate justice groups that represent those on the frontlines of climate change. Washington State’s Initiative 732: Impact on Electricity Prices Should be Small. Ireland and Sweden also have such taxes. [65], In March 2016, the department withdrew its proposal for a mandatory emissions cap. We have a moral responsibility to our children and future generations to protect them from global warming and climate disruption. [66], As of March 2016, Washington was one of the 12 states to adopt greenhouse gas emissions standards for automobiles similar to California's standards. Initiative 732 will put even more strains on household budgets. Initiative 732 would not provide needed investments and jobs in vulnerable communities. These fuels include certain fuels used solely for agricultural purposes; fuel purchased for public transportation or by a private nonprofit transportation provider; fuel purchased by the Washington state ferry system for use in its ferries; and fuel purchased for school buses. Some took the position to neither endorse or fight the measure. This Washington State initiative, on the ballot this fall, will tax emissions from burning fossil fuels, decrease the sales tax, eliminate business taxes on manufacturers, and fund a Working Families Tax Rebate. 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