Election governance | Our current tax system hits lower- and middle-income families hardest. Steady increases would kick in after that, upping the rate till it reaches $100 per ton several decades from now. Their argument was as follows:[9]. For these fuels, the initial tax rate would be 5 percent of the tax rate imposed on other fuels. Local tax revenue would increase by $156.1 million. Together, these states accounted for 0.32 percent of the nation's carbon dioxide emissions, 0.54 percent of the nation's sulfur dioxide emissions, and 0.55 percent of the nation's nitrogen dioxide emissions from power plants in 2012. He said, “The Sierra Club calls itself a grass-roots organization, and I was really disappointed on how this process was decided. Supporters received $3.15 million in contributions, while No on 732 raised $1.42 million. Exported power would be taxed. Superior Courts | This chapter is not intended ... 2 Washington; or acquired from the Bonneville power administration. [8], Climate Solutions issued a statement on April 21, 2016, explaining their position. If certified, initiatives are sent to the Washington House of Representatives and Washington State Senate for consideration. Last Tuesday, Washington State voters rejected a ballot initiative that would have created the first carbon tax in the United States. Washington State’s Initiative 732: Impact on Electricity Prices Should be Small. Campaign finance requirements, Who represents me? Then, the tax rate would rise to $25 per metric ton on July 1, 2018. It’s an effective, bipartisan policy similar to one that’s been working successfully in British Columbia since 2008. Advisory Vote No. 14 House Bill 2768. To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here. In 2009, 47 percent opposed the tax. 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. It’s a big one. The initiative would raise taxes by about 15 cents per gallon of gas initially, up to 25 cents per gallon, then gradually increasing after that. Second, it risks turning climate change into a one-party issue. State expenditures would increase by $37.4 million. [8], The following video advertisements were produced by Carbon Washington:[26], No on 732 led the campaign in opposition to Initiative 732. This is all unnecessary. The state would adopt rules needed to implement the measure. Yet, unlike the gas tax, the carbon tax gas price increase does not put any money back into relieving our congested highways and bridges or provide new transit options. At a time when we are struggling to maintain good jobs and fund basic services, I-732 would send Washington in the wrong direction. The state business and occupation tax rate for manufacturing would be reduced to 0.001 percent on July 1, 2017, from the current rate of 0.484 percent for most manufacturers. Revenue from this source would be about $81 million per year. The state did, however, have a goal of reducing emissions to specific levels by a particular year since 2008, when the state legislature passed statutory emissions limits in order to reduce Washington's overall greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020, 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2035, and 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. In 2016, a group of climate activists put an initiative for a revenue-neutral carbon tax on the November ballot in Washington State. We’re going to be on fire long before that… There was a point where I was crying about this. Healthcare | [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. Besides its impact to Washington families, Initiative 732 is poorly worded and will take money away from state investments in education and health care. 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. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Protecting our air, water, and climate just can’t wait. 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. 1 (3) The proceeds of the carbon pollution tax are not intended to 2 be used for highway purposes and must be deposited into the state 3 general fund pursuant to RCW 82.32.380. Initiative 732 was unnecessary. [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. By The New York Times The following is an excerpt from the statement:[39], For these very important reasons Climate Solutions cannot support I 732. Other organizations opposing the initiative included: Other unions opposing the initiative included: No on 732, sponsored by the Association of Washington Business, argued the following:[34]. The carbon tax would be applied to exported power. Ballot access for candidates | I-732 will make Washington’s budget mess worse. Groups taking this position include Climate Solutions, the Washington Environmental Council, 350 Seattle, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Sierra Club. Editor's Note: Washington begins mailing ballots to voters on Oct. 21. The Working Families Tax Exemption Program would be funded. [5], The designers of Initiative 732 sought to neither increase nor decrease state revenues. Makes Polluters Pay. And it makes the tax system fairer and more sustainable by using the carbon tax revenue to reduce the sales tax and other regressive and burdensome taxes that hurt families and businesses. We have a moral responsibility to our children and future generations to protect them from global warming and climate disruption. [2] The OFM deemed Initiative 732 revenue-negative, claiming it would have decreased state revenue $200 million or 0.95 percent per year. As scientists and citizens we urge you to join us in support of 1-732 on Election Day. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles. [28], The No on 732 campaign coalition included:[30]. Little has been done to preserve a viable climate system. 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. Washington Carbon Emission Tax and Sales Tax Reduction, Initiative 732 (2016), Carbon Washington's "Yes On I-732: We're the ones we've been waiting for", Carbon Washington's "I732 - To Protect Our Future", Carbon Washington's "Let's take a swing at Climate Change!". Aug. 1, 2017, 11:27 AM ET, 2,855,638 votes, An additional $112.3 in revenue would be generated relative to the OFM's estimates. 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. Therefore, two tax credits, costing about $421 million, would be distributed around June 30, 2018. Carbon Washington claimed Initiative 732 would increase state revenue $240 to $350 million or 1.1 to 1.6 percent per year. This initiative allows teachers and other school district employees to receive cost-of-living salary adjustments. This is on top of the recent gas tax increase of $.12 approved by the Washington State Legislature. It uses the money polluters pay to lower sales taxes, saving the average family hundreds of dollars a year. [78], There were five petitions filed, and signatures were submitted for one (Initiative Measure No. 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. Nonetheless, the institute deferred to the OFM. The current state sales tax rate is 6.5 percent, though some local governments impose their own sales taxes that make the rate paid by purchasers higher. To learn more, see ". [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. Our state faces a $5 billion deficit and court orders to meet basic education and mental health needs. It uses revenues from a carbon pollution fee to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy and invests in infrastructure for clean, abundant water and healthy forests that can stand up to the adverse impacts of climate change, while simultaneously assisting the most vulnerable workers and communities during our transition away from fossil fuels. In August 2016, Elway Poll released data showing 34 percent of respondents in support of and 37 percent opposed to Initiative 732. She added:[44], Court Olson, a Sierra Club member, wanted the group to survey its members. It would impose a new "carbon emission tax" that applies to the sale or use of certain fossil fuels and electricity generated from fossil fuels. [28], The following ballot question committee registered to support this initiative as of January 12, 2017. Most of all, we hope that the divisiveness that has marked this fight subsides. Taxes. State executives | Sponsors of the measure hired Your Choice Petitions, LLC to collect signatures for the petition to qualify this measure for the ballot.

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