With just days (hopefully) to go before the end of the 2016 legislative session, the lawmakers have not touched Initiative 732, the so-called “revenue neutral” carbon tax. I-732 would place a $25-per-metric-ton tax from on carbon emissions from fossil fuels, along with multiple tax cuts to supposedly offset the new revenue.
The options state lawmakers had were to pass I-732 as is and make it a law, send it and an alternative plan both to the ballot, or ignore it/reject it and let it go to the ballot in November.
By every indication, lawmakers have chosen to do nothing about the initiative, which means it will advance on its own to the ballot.
That means, if voters pass I-732, our state will become first in the nation to have a carbon tax. Supporters have billed it as revenue neutral, but that’s not exactly the case. As Shift reported, the initiative would reduce state revenue by $915 million over four years. An earlier estimate pegged the four-year budget hit at $675 million.
Some I-732 supporters actually requested that state lawmakers deliver another option for voters. But, rather than make any fix to I-732 in the form of a competing plan, lawmakers appear ready to take the risk that voters will reject this experiment.
Of course, House Democrats are already jumping at the opportunity to blame Senate Republicans for the lack of a plan. Liberal blog Publicola reports:
“State representative Joe Fitzgibbon (D-34, Des Moines) said his side has been waiting for a proposal from the senate Republicans. Fitzgibbon said Democrats took political hits from senate Republicans last year for thinking about a carbon tax—and did not want to take the same flak this year by proposing something without the GOP already having its own plan on the table.
“‘We could still do this this session,’ Fitzgibbon said.”
That’s an interesting change in tone for Rep. Fitzgibbon, chair of the House Environment Committee. You see, last month Fitzgibbon told the Seattle Times, “If we put together a proposal that corrected some of the shortfalls in 732, I don’t know I could tell you that it could get out of the House.”
The real reason Democrats decided not to act is because they knew any plan they produced would not pass their own state House.
Republicans are not impressed by I-732 either. GOP state Sen. Doug Ericksen, chair the Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee, told the Seattle Times that “any alternative I-732 version he’d back would have to balance its carbon tax with rollbacks of other environmental regulations — including a prohibition on a carbon-emissions cap under development by Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration.” That’s not something House Democrats (or Inslee) were prepared to negotiate on.
So, I-732 will now be on the November ballot.
Preliminary polls, despite the blow the initiative would deliver to our state’s economy, indicate voters may go either way. Via Publicola:
“Carbon Washington, the group backing I-732, recently cited an unnamed poll that concluded 44 percent of respondents favored I-732 while 40 percent opposed it; 16 percent were undecided. After a ‘simple explanation’ of I-732, 60 percent supported the initiative, Carbon Washington said in a blog post.
“If ‘pro and con’ messages are provided, the tally ended up 48 percent for the initiative, 47 percent opposing, and 5 percent undecided.”
In the end, I-732—with all its shortcomings—reveals the almost innate uncertainty and instability associated with “green” measures. It’s always wise to take the promises of any “green” policy measure with a rather large dose of reality.
Republicans are not impressed by I-732 either. GOP state Sen. Doug Ericksen, chair the Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee, told the Seattle Times that “any alternative I-732 version he’d back would have to balance its carbon tax with rollbacks of other environmental regulations — including a prohibition on a carbon-emissions cap under development by Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration.” That’s not something House Democrats (or Inslee) were prepared to negotiate on.
Tens of thousands of Washibgton state’s citizens signed for our legislature to debate whether or not a carbon tax would be a good idea. The Republicans somehow turned this into a demand to eliminate existing pollution regulations. See you at the polls in November, boys, and you can tell your corporate masters in the oil biz that you at least tried to do their bidding.
See you at the polls in November, comrades, and you can tell Tom Steyer that you at least tried to do his bidding.
If you really believe that stifling debate is what I’m doing here, then your understanding of my actions is even more wretchedly, miserably poor than your previous comments have indicated.
Who said anything about “stifling debate”? What are you talking about? It looks like all that money you spent on a therapist was a total waste. I-732 stinks so bad, even House Democrats wouldn’t vote on it. It’s going down in flames in November, along with Steyer’s millions. Better cash the check quickly.
Who said anything about “stifling debate”?
When we citizens file an Initiative to our legislature, we formally request them to debate the issue our Initiative addresses. The Republicans in our state’s senate refused our request, simply because they wanted something for their corporate owners. Therefore, they stifled the debate we’d asked them to have. Your weak and witless school-yard response seemed to imply I was taking money (Ha! I wish!) to do the same thing here. Maybe I was wrong to assign such a lofty message — or any message — to such a jejune attempt at a retort.
I-732 stinks so bad, even House Democrats wouldn’t vote on it.
They already knew of the Senate Republicans’ attempted hostage-taking, and — as the quote I provided shows– they had no incentive to play along, because the Initiative will now go before us voters. So, they didn’t bother.
(Also, maybe they actually believe what your Ministers of Truth and Beauty here at Shift has declared to be the Offical Story: Inslee beat McKenna because of liberal Initiatives on the ballot that year. Perhaps the Democrats hope for another such lift this election season. Having their opponents sound imperiously dismissive of a popular Initiative probably can’t hurt the Democrats’ chances.)
“They already knew of the Senate Republicans’ attempted hostage-taking, and — as the quotes provided in the main post show — they had no incentive to play along, because the Initiative will now go before us voters. So, they didn’t bother”
Really? They took the cowardly, lazy way out because they had no incentive to play along? Is that how you describe the function of the august body of statesmen that makes up the House Democratic Caucus? They just “play along” or not depending on whose ball it is? It sounds like a highly principled bunch. Real adult legislators would at least bring it up for a vote, regardless of any opposition, to show their support for the measure to their constituents and to let Greenie know they got his back. But no, they didn’t bother to play along. You summed them up perfectly.
Really? They took the cowardly, lazy way out because they had no incentive to play along?
Try reading the post again. The Republican-controlled Senate will not pass I-732. It simply will not happen. They won’t even deign to have the debate we requested unless they get unrelated concessions. Therefore, there’s no point in the Democrats even trying. (I suggest you read any of the many posts here, crowing about how carbon regulation is a terrible idea, and how awesome the Senate Majority Caucus is for stopping these and other laws.)
Real adult legislators would at least bring it up for a vote,
I couldn’t agree more. This is just another area in which the Republican-controlled Senate is a total failure.
You summed them up perfectly.
Thank you.
Nice copy-and-paste dodge, comrade context. When was I-732 debated, voted on and passed in the House? It also simply did not happen. What you’re telling me is House Democrats (and Greenie) are helpless without the Senate’s approval, the omnipotent Senate Majority Caucus is more powerful than the rest of the state government combined and Senate Republicans have rendered both the House and the Governor pointless. That fits because, like you said, Democrats are just playing legislators, when they bother to at all.
When was I-732 debated, voted on and passed in the House?
It wasn’t. Why do you believe that has any relevance? Our state’s Constitution doesn’t have a provision for an Initiative to the House, just to the legislature. Once the Republicans who had seized control of our Senate indicated payments from their corporate masters trumped the signed request from hundreds of thousands of Washington state’s citizens, I-732 was headed to our ballots. What has the other House to do with any of that?
What you’re telling me is House Democrats (and Greenie) are helpless without the Senate’s approval,
Yes, that is exactly what I’m telling you. One house of our state’s legislature cannot pass a law without the approval of the other house. Please let us know which other parts of Washington State’s Constitution you completely fail to understand.
… the omnipotent Senate Majority Caucus…
See, here’s the problem with using great big long fancy words you don’t understand in an attempt to sound knowledgeable: it’s immediately obvious to all readers that you don’t actually understand such words. I(f you want to show where I claimed the Senate Majority Caucus was all-powerful, you’re free to fail miserably to do so at your leisure.)
Senate Republicans have rendered both the House and the Governor pointless.
No, the Governor has no Constitutional role in our Initiative process. Thank you for showing us another part of our Constitution you have totally failed to understand — just as I asked you to!
“Our state’s Constitution doesn’t have a provision for an Initiative to the House, just to the legislature”
So the House isn’t part of the Legislature?
“Once the Republicans who had seized control of our Senate indicated payments from their corporate masters trumped the signed request from hundreds of thousands of Washington state’s citizens…”
To quote my favorite comrade: When can we expect the indictments?
“I(f (sic) you want to show where I claimed the Senate Majority Caucus was all-powerful”
How about here: “Once the Republicans who had seized control of our Senate indicated…” You claim all it took was a mere indication on a stance by Senate Republicans to immediately silence and cow the House into submission like schoolkids standing in the corner until they’re dismissed. Sounds like you think they’re pretty powerful.
“the Governor has no Constitutional role in our Initiative process”
I never said he did. It’s an issue that’s the only thing on Greenie’s mind, the one and only point out the 75 point plan he campaigned on to survive past election night, so a rational person may think he’d be pushing for some support, at least a vote on it and his fellow travelers in the House would have his back, if not for those mean Senate Republicans who rendered them both pointless with nothing more than an indication.
So the House isn’t part of the Legislature?
Of course it is; there’s just no requirement for the House to debate an Initiative before the Senate does. You kept faulting the House Democrats for the same inaction as the Senate Republucans show, even though they have the exact same requirements.
To quote my favorite comrade: When can we expect the indictments?
Did someone do something illegal? While it would be sweet to drag members of the Senate Majority Caucus off to jail, I don’t know of any offenses against criminal codes they may have committed. Do you?
You claim all it took was a mere indication on a stance by Senate Republicans to immediately silence and cow the House into submission …
No, I merely taught you that either House can refuse to consider an Initiative. Once the Senate refused our written request for such a public debate, there was no point in the House pursuing the matter any further.
…at least a vote on it and his fellow travelers in the House…
So, an elected official with no formal role in this process should urge other people to ignore reality and waste taxpayer dollars on a known non-starter? Weird. (I guess I’ve been gainfully employed in the private sector for far too long to comprehend why anyone would advocate for such a total waste of resources.)
“You kept faulting the House Democrats for the same inaction as the Senate Republucans (sic) show, even though they have the exact same requirements”
Who started this thread by faulting Senate Republicans for the same inaction the House Democrats have shown? Oh yeah, that was you, hypocrite.
“So, an elected official with no formal role in this process should urge other people to ignore reality and waste taxpayer dollars on a known non-starter?”
It’s not like Greenie is any stranger to ignoring reality and wasting taxpayer dollars, It’s all he knows. Why do you suddenly think something as simple as the House taking a vote on an issue is wasting taxpayer dollars? They were in the regular session and that’s kinda their only function. But it is an election year, so rather than piss off voters by backing a loser, they took the spineless way out and punted.
When was the Ministry of Truth privatized?
… the same inaction …
Try reading the post (yet) again, genius. The Democrats offered to entertain whatever plan the Republicans might have; the Republicans demanded concessions from the Governor before they would even begin talking. The inaction all comes from the Republican side.
… wasting taxpayer dollars,
Anyone who has given money to Shift has permanently and hilariously eliminated himself from any serious consideration on the topic of wasting money. (I just thought you’d like to know.)
For example:
Why do you suddenly think something as simple as the House taking a vote on an issue is wasting taxpayer dollars?
How could keeping the legislature in session to debate legislation which will never pass possibly waste taxpayer money? You just don’t understand.
When was the Ministry of Truth privatized?
Asking that question here at Shift may be your best moment of comedy yet!
Since Shift won’t answer you, you can always ask Rush Limbaugh, or those nice people at Fox News, none of whom would ever, ever lie to you. Ever.