Dye: Low Carbon Fuel Standard Will Hurt Washington Ag, Washingtonians

In November, voters in Washington rejected I-1631, a low carbon fuel standard, with over 56% of the state voting no.  In response, supporters of the low carbon effort, brought forward legislation in Olympia this session, enacting many portions of that failed initiative.  On March 12^th, the House cleared HB 1110, the low-carbon fuel standard.  Representative Mary Dye said this legislation is bad for Washington’s Ag community, and will hurt Washingtonians statewide.

“And we continue to do these policies that have an impact on the affordability of living in Washington state, the access to good quality jobs, and the ability to transport goods and services that we produce with those jobs into the global market place.  And it makes us very uncompetitive.”

She noted those opposed to the low-carbon fuel standard fought unsuccessfully for 3.5 hours on the House floor.  Dye said to look at what this legislation will do to Washington farming community, one can look to California.  She said while many other sectors of the Golden State’s economy have continued to flourish after low carbon standards were put into place, Ag has not.

“I just don’t think people understand the gravity of having an artificial fuel standard put in place on the most important sector in our economy….an unfortunate, unintended consequences of this type of thinking.”

HB 1110 is currently in the state Senate where it sits before the Transportation Committee.

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