(The Center Square) – Nearly 420,000 signatures were turned into the Secretary of State’s office in Tumwater on Tuesday afternoon in an effort to qualify Initiative 2117, a measure to repeal Washington state’s cap-and-trade law that many contend has made gas more expensive in the Evergreen State.
Washington currently has the second-highest average gas prices in the nation, according to AAA.
The signatures were gathered and turned in by the conservative group “Let’s Go Washington,” which was founded by Republican donor Brian Heywood of Redmond.
Under the Climate Commitment Act of 2021 – which went into effect at the beginning of this year – emitters are required to obtain “emissions allowances” equal to their covered greenhouse gas emissions at quarterly auctions hosted by the Department of Ecology.
A separate pool of allowances is made available when the prices at the quarterly auctions exceed a certain level to stabilize costs and ensure that carbon allowances are obtainable and reasonably priced for covered entities. Three quarterly carbon auctions and two Allowance Price Containment Reserve auctions have been held so far this year. Not including the most recent APCR auction on Nov. 8, said auctions have brought in more than $1.4 billion. The next quarterly auction is set for Dec. 6.
“Well, it’s a big deal,” said Glen Morgan, founder of the “We The Governed” website. “I mean, turning in 418,399 signatures for the ‘Stop the Hidden Gas Tax.’”
Needing about 325,000 signatures to qualify, Morgan noted “it’s about 80,000-plus more than what they need, so it looks really good. And we’re in early, a month early.”
The due date for turning in the signatures is Dec. 29.
“We want a safe and clean environment,” Heywood said to the crowd assembled outside the Town Center East building that houses the Secretary of State’s office. “We don’t want polluters to get off scot-free. And I think that what this, frankly, what the carbon tax does is it allows polluters to get away off scot-free. They just pass the costs along to everybody that’s driving every day to work. There’s a commuter tax.”
Heywood went on to note the carbon tax means money doesn’t go as far in terms of gas-purchasing power and makes other things – like groceries – more expensive “because that all has come in a truck that’s been taxed.”
The carbon tax only benefits political officeholders, he said, because they “have a big slush fund you can give to your friends on the backs of the everyday working person who’s just trying to make a living.”
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, framed the issue as one of citizens’ rights.
“Remember, the state constitution in Article I says, ‘All political power is inherent in the people,’ and the initiative process is the best example of that power in the hands of the people,” he said.
Walsh, who also serves as the new chair of the Washington State Republican Party, went on to assail the carbon tax as useless.
“This cap-and-trade scheme, it does nothing to reduce carbon outputs,” he said. “It doesn’t stop pollution.”
Not everyone agreed with Walsh.
Five sign-carrying protesters in favor of the carbon tax also attended the signature drop-off event.
One of them was Lisa Ornstein, who said she was with the progressive organization Olympia Indivisible.
“The reason I’m here is that I have children, and I want there to be a habitable planet for them,” she said. “And so I support the Washington Climate Commitment Act.”
Assuming I-2117 has sufficient verified signatures, the measure is certified to appear before the Legislature next session. If the Legislature does not approve the measure, it will be certified to appear on the 2024 ballot.
