A Kennewick Republican shares disappointment that majority Democrats in Olympia have shelved a plan to offer citizens a rebate from excessive carbon tax revenues, Nic Scott reports from the state Capitol.
Representative April Connors said she’s displeased that majority Democrats have no interest in considering legislation that would return to motorists some of the windfall from the state’s cap-and-trade auctions. The carbon tax has increased the cost of gasoline by about 50 cents a gallon in Washington state, even though the governor said, “We are talking about pennies,” when asked what impacts would come from the tax on CO2.
“It was an excess revenue – it was money that the state did not anticipate. This is people’s money, out of their pockets, that should have been returned to them.”
Connors and Representative Mary Dye proposed rebates of $214 to each registered vehicle owner, but majority Democrats haven’t been interested in giving the legislation a hearing.
“It would have solicited a lot of people who wanted to come and testify. I think it would have shown a lot of holes in the program and I think they didn’t want that out in the public.”
Connors says that she’s committed to returning any excess revenues from these programs back to the people.
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