Governor Jay Inslee’s plan to put a cap on carbon emissions and make big polluters pay got its first hearing in Olympia today. The bill would charge the state’s top emitters for each ton released, starting in July 2016.
Dueling interest groups launched prior to the hearing, each lining up big coalitions in support and against the governor’s proposal. So many people signed up to testify before the House Environment committee that Tuesday's public hearing was continued to Thursday.
Jeff Johnson, the president of the Washington State Labor Council joined the state’s largest environmental and social justice groups in the new Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy. He said this is likely the most important bill he will ever testify about.
“Climate change truly is an existential issue. It impacts our environment, it impacts jobs and the economy, it impacts public health and safety. It exacerbates inequality. And it challenges our sense of common purpose,” he said.
Opposition to the plan came from a new group called the Washington Climate Collaborative. Kris Johnson, the president of the Association of Washington Business, said the state is already a leader in reducing carbon and fighting climate change. But they don’t want more government regulation.
“At the end of the day, this becomes a competitiveness issue. We’re concerned about the economic impacts to jobs, to the environment to the employers if we are to go forward with this piece,” Johnson said.
One small farmer, for example, said she fears the higher cost of fuel and fertilizer could keep her from purchasing more fuel efficient equipment.