April 28, 2013: Everett Herald carbon tax editorial

• A great Everett Herald editorial: It's time for a carbon tax
• Sightline's Talking Carbon Taxes, Free-Enterprise Style
• In transportation news, a modest transportation bill is heading for the Governor's desk: "Lawmakers are leaving aside for now the more contentious question of a transportation revenue package that would augment the budget. That debate is set to resume in a special session..."
• In Oregon a carbon tax study bill (SB 306) is moving forward through the legislature; here's the most recent bill language I can find. During a hearing last week "the industrial owned utilities came out against it, as did the rural electric coop, but that was all (and frankly, that was to be expected). We had good support for the study and task force bill and testimony from: Building Trades, Iberdrola, Skanska, Metro (regional gov't), Eugene Water and Electric Board, CUB [Citizens' Utility Board], Oregon Law Center (low income advocates), and Main Street Alliance (small business association)." Two other good recent articles on Oregon: Three issues to watch in Oregon's carbon tax debate and A smarter tax for Oregon, by Tom Potiowsky, Northwest Economic Research Center, PSU.
• In Europe, Paid Permits for Pollution Are Fizzling
• On the lighter side, a great (and relevant) comedy routine: David Crowe: Gasaholic

April 15, 2013: Sierra Club support, new revenue-neutral draft, and other developments

Some good developments!

• Last week I was invited to talk carbon taxes with the Conservation Committee of the Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club. The idea of a revenue-neutral carbon tax received a vote of support (unanimous, if I recall correctly) and a task force was created to come up with recommendations for getting a carbon tax passed. Great news, stay tuned for more!
• I submitted ballot language for a revenue-neutral proposal to see what kind of ballot title would come out of it, and here's the result: "This measure would impose a greenhouse gas emissions tax on certain fossil fuels, reduce the state sales tax one percentage-point, eliminate the business and occupation tax on manufacturers, and increase certain tax credits." More details on the bill itself (PDF, Word) and on the ballot title and summary.
• Governor Inslee signed into law a study bill that will evaluate ideas like BC's carbon tax and report back in October 2013.
• A good op-ed in the Wall Street Journal from Nobel-winning economist Gary Becker and George Shultz: "Why We Support a Revenue-Neutral Carbon Tax". (Last I checked this article was not gated, although the WSJ often is.)
• We're shifting focus towards a revenue-neutral option and away from a transportation option, but as a last-ditch effort of sorts on the transportation front Clark Williams-Derry of Sightline and I wrote a post on "How To Fix the Washington Transportation Package".
• PS. Some earth day talks coming up at Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church (Sunday April 21), Plymouth Forum at Plymouth UCC in Seattle (Sunday April 21), Seattle University (T April 23), Bellevue College (Th April 25), and Yakima (May 2). Holler if you want details or want to help out!