skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, July 27, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Arson attacks paralyze French high-speed rail network hours before start of Olympics, the Obamas endorse Harris for President; A NY county creates facial recognition, privacy protections; Art breathes new life into pollution-ravaged MI community; 34 Years of the ADA.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Harris meets with Israeli PM Netanyahu and calls for a ceasefire. MI Rep. Rashida Tlaib faces backlash for a protest during Netanyahu's speech. And VA Sen. Mark Warner advocates for student debt relief.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

There's a gap between how rural and urban folks feel about the economy, Colorado's 'Rural is Rad' aims to connect outdoor businesses, more than a dozen of Maine's infrastructure sites face repeated flooding, and chocolate chip cookies rock August.

Repeal of WA carbon cap program would have 'devastating effects'

play audio
Play

Wednesday, January 17, 2024   

Opponents of a new law to cap carbon in Washington state are waiting to see if their initiative to repeal it will appear before voters in November. Supporters argued eliminating it could have a range of impacts on the state.

The Climate Commitment Act was passed in 2021 and created a cap-and-invest program to reduce carbon from the state's largest emitters over time. In its first year of auctions in 2023, the program raised about $2 billion.

David Mendoza, director of policy and government relations for The Nature Conservancy in Washington, said repealing the program would hit the state's transportation budget especially hard.

"It inevitably would start affecting our ability to invest in roads and bridges that the rest of the transportation budget does, which will shrink the whole thing and there will be less money for everything moving forward," Mendoza pointed out. "It could have some really devastating effects on what we're able to do for our state if the repeal occurs."

Investments from the program have been used to create fare-free bus transit for Washingtonians age 18 and under across the state, for example. Funds have also been used for electric school buses and EV chargers. However, opponents of the Climate Commitment Act contended it is raising the cost of everything in Washington, especially gas.

Mendoza stressed the price of gas is even more complicated. He urged lawmakers to make the source of gas prices and fluctuations clear.

"That's what we're trying to do, is create some transparency so the public is better aware of the whole range of things that go into setting the price of gas and can't demonize this legislation," Mendoza explained. "Which has really positive effects in a whole range of other ways."

Mendoza noted the state has a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half by 2030.

"The Climate Commitment Act itself accounts for 26 million metric tons of reduction," Mendoza outlined. "If the Climate Commitment Act goes away, there's very little ways we can actually meet that goal."

Mendoza added the program also invests in climate resilience to defend against the effects of climate change communities are already experiencing in the state.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to the Tax Policy Center, for higher-income earners, sales taxes consume a lower share of their income than for other households. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As Nebraska state lawmakers convene for a special session on property tax reform called by Gov. Jim Pillen, groups are weighing in on the details …


play sound

Traveling around rural Minnesota can be difficult but in more than half the state, nonprofit transit systems are helping people get where they need …

Social Issues

play sound

Student loan forgiveness took center stage on Thursday at the American Federation of Teachers conference. The Biden administration has canceled more …


Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has introduced legislation to codify the Chevron Deference into law. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Recent Supreme Court rulings on air pollution are affecting Virginia and the nation. Climate advocates said the court overstepped its bounds in …

Health and Wellness

play sound

World Hepatitis Day is this Sunday, and for the Oregon Health Authority, it's an opportunity to promote its plan to eliminate hepatitis across the …

The Gender Shades project revealed facial recognition performed poorest for darker-skinned women, and performed best for lighter-skinned men. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Columbia County, New York, is implementing new facial recognition and privacy policies, following new upgrades to the county's surveillance cameras…

Health and Wellness

play sound

New York disability-rights advocates are celebrating the 34th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 1990 …

Social Issues

play sound

As summer winds down and North Carolina students prepare to return to school, the focus shifts to the urgent need for better public education funding…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021