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All eyes on Washington as voters consider repeal of landmark Climate Commitment Act

A picture of a refinery taken at dusk will hill in the background.
Rich Pedroncelli
/
AP
Oil refineries are among the large polluters who have to pay to pollute under Washington's Climate Commitment Act, which went into effect in Washington in January 2023.

One of the most talked-about voter initiatives on the ballot this election in Washington state is I-2117. It would prohibit state agencies from imposing any kind of carbon tax in Washington.

It would also repeal the state’s Climate Commitment Act – the “cap and invest” program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that took effect last year.

There have been lots of ads on local airwaves about this measure, and billions of dollars are at stake. KNKX environment reporter Bellamy Pailthorp joins KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick to talk about the initiative and share what some voters are saying.

Click "Listen" above to hear their conversation.


Transcript

Note: This transcript is provided for reference only and may contain typos. Please confirm accuracy before quoting.

KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick: Bellamy, at issue is the Climate Commitment Act. So let's start with what it is.

KNKX Environment Reporter Bellamy Pailthorp: So the Climate Commitment Act, our cap and invest law, took effect here in January 2023. And it puts a cap on carbon pollution that is set to go down over time, with the state selling allowances to the largest polluters. They have to buy permits to pollute, essentially, at quarterly state auctions.

The proceeds from those auctions is the ‘invest’ part: that revenue, which now totals more than $2 billion, has to be invested in critical climate and air quality projects, programs that help us address climate change or help us adapt — things like electrifying transportation (including new ferries,) getting free transit passes for youth or subsidizing new forms of clean energy. These kinds of things are all being paid for with the money from those big polluters who have to pay for the permits or else pollute less.

Kendrick: All right, so now we have an effort to repeal this law and to prevent any type of carbon tax credit trading in the future?

Pailthorp: That's right. Backers of the effort to repeal the law say the Climate Commitment Act is too expensive — that it has sent the costs for gas and energy up when people can least afford it. Estimates on the increase to the price for a gallon of gas, for example, range from about 20 to 50 cents per gallon, depending on who you ask.

It's believed that the big oil and gas companies are passing the costs of the program onto consumers, and at least one of them is on record, confirming that. Many people think that what we do here in terms of regulation really doesn't matter much compared to global emissions, so they don't want to pay more for local climate policies.

But opponents say there's just too much at stake with the climate and that this program is addressing that and more on the state level. We're setting an example for other states too, and there are plans to eventually link our system up with carbon trading systems in California and Quebec. And people say this is one thing we can do, and eliminating all of those programs would be painful. A repeal would also put a huge hole in the state transportation budget and worsen problems like the state ferries crisis.

Kendrick: All right, so now this is in the hands of voters, and you talked with some of them a few weeks ago, and there were still lots of folks who are undecided.

Pailthorp: Yes, and apparently there still are. The latest poll I saw says 22% are undecided on this initiative, although support for it has been shrinking, so it could still really go either way.

So a few weeks ago, I went to Port Angeles and spent a couple of hours talking to voters at a gas station as they fueled up. Just about everyone I talked to was still undecided at that point, but I did get a couple of clear answers.

Scott Lisenberry is an independent businessman. He's a chimney sweep who was fueling up for the week. He drives a lot for his work, so he keeps a keen eye on gas prices. He says he knows climate change is real and needs to be addressed. He's looked into getting an electric vehicle, but says the range isn't good enough for him yet, and he says there aren't enough places to charge EVs — he doesn't see the state spending enough on that, and he's voting for the initiative to repeal the Climate Commitment Act, because he really just doesn't trust the state government. And he thinks that businesses would do a better job.

VOTER SCOTT LISENBERRY: You know, and how they're spending it is questionable. It's probably all spent on, you know, researching and studies on where to put chargers and all that, when I think private industry would probably do a better job of, you know, putting chargers in than the state, I don't really have a lot of confidence in their efficiency on that.

Kendrick: Seems like he's thought his decision through to vote for the repeal. Bellamy, you also found some people who want to keep the Climate Commitment Act in place and will vote "no" on the initiative.

Pailthorp: Yes. For example, Ben Leininger told me while he was fueling up, right off the bat that he wouldn't vote for repeal. He wants the state to regulate our use of fossil fuels.

VOTER BEN LEININGER: …and at the very least moderate our gas petroleum consumption because, well, I'm under the impression that, you know, if the climate is changing, we're supposed to be thinking critically about how we're using all these resources and trying to use them less.

Kendrick: Bellamy, he was mentioning the climate changing, this really speaks to the heart of the Climate Commitment Act, which is what Governor Jay Inslee hopes will be his legacy.

Pailthorp: Yes, this is Governor Inslee’s third and final term, and he has worked on climate issues the entire time he's been in office here, as he did when he was in Congress before becoming governor. He's known as "the greenest governor," and 15 years ago, he co-wrote a whole book about the need for a clean energy economy because of climate change. He also ran for president on that platform in 2019. I asked him this summer what he will do after he finishes this term. He told me, without hesitation, he will be working on climate issues. So yes, definitely important to Governor Jay Inslee to preserve this cap and invest law as part of his legacy.

Kendrick:  So Bellamy, no matter how this vote goes, it is expected it will have an impact beyond Washington.

Pailthorp: Yes, Washington is only the second state in the nation to have a carbon cap and trade system of any kind, second only to California, and there was a recent article in The New York Times talking about how several states around the nation are watching to see what happens here, so that they can figure out what to do at home. So if this repeal passes, yes, people may see slightly lower prices on their gas and heating bills, but the state will also be left with a huge hole in the budget for things like clean energy and transportation, and the entire nation is watching to see what we do.

Kendrick: All right, we will see how the vote goes. Thank you, Bellamy,

Pailthorp: You're welcome, Kirsten.

Bellamy Pailthorp covers the environment for KNKX with an emphasis on climate justice, human health and food sovereignty. She enjoys reporting about how we will power our future while maintaining healthy cultures and livable cities. Story tips can be sent to bpailthorp@knkx.org.
Kirsten Kendrick hosts Morning Edition on KNKX and the sports interview series "Going Deep," talking with folks tied to sports in our region about what drives them — as professionals and people.