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Tea, cider, & tomorrow
Tea, cider, & tomorrow
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee visits Vancouver student advocates, addressing opposition to Initiative 2117
-------- Talan Collins / CR News
October 17, 2024
(CR News) - In a vibrant loft above a teahouse in downtown Vancouver, Washington Governor Jay Inslee made a special visit this past Saturday to a group of student advocates opposed to the state’s contentious Initiative 2117. Alongside his wife Trudi, Inslee engaged in an in-depth conversation with students from across the district who voiced their concerns about the future of environmental regulations in the state.
A recent report published by Greenlight Insights suggests the initiative could eliminate state investments into public transit by depriving the state of revenue by $3.9 billion through 2029. However, CCA revenue is restricted in that it must go toward transportation projects that “have direct climate and decarbonization benefits,” Gov. Inslee’s Deputy Communications Director Mike Faulk clarifies. “State law is very clear about allowable uses of CCA funding, and maintenance and preservation are not an appropriate use.”
During his conversation with students, Inslee defended the CCA, which he called “the best pipe of law in the United States,” and claimed the legislation will offer Washingtonians “the lowest fuel prices in America,” alluding to his push for an ambitious transition toward renewable energy, including the promotion of electric vehicles which have much lower fueling costs compared to gasoline vehicles.
Inslee believes addressing climate change is “the most important thing in all our lives.” Pressed by CR News on whether his unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign – centered on combating climate change – failed to highlight the issue's urgency in progressive politics, Gov. Inslee defended his campaign's impact. “We got a great president. I'm glad I ran, and I'm glad we got good leadership from [President Biden]. And if I just hadn't been so obnoxious, I probably would have won.”
As the 2024 election heats up, River senior Nataline Debesay hopes events like the one she attended at Dandelion Teahouse & Apothecary open “up the community a little bit more,” to respectful discussion of political issues. Triebs expresses a similar optimism for the future, suggesting her generation is more unified and “tend[s] to agree more [on] environmental policy.”
With a mug in hand, Governor Inslee engaged in thoughtful dialogue with student advocates in our community, reinforcing that their voices today will help shape the environmental policy of tomorrow._____________________________________
(CR News) - In a vibrant loft above a teahouse in downtown Vancouver, Washington Governor Jay Inslee made a special visit this past Saturday to a group of student advocates opposed to the state’s contentious Initiative 2117. Alongside his wife Trudi, Inslee engaged in an in-depth conversation with students from across the district who voiced their concerns about the future of environmental regulations in the state.
Largely funded by millionaire hedge fund manager Brian Heywood through the organization “Let’s Go Washington,” the initiative – which is among four statewide measures on November’s election ballot – seeks to repeal the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) of 2021. A signature accomplishment of Inslee’s administration, the act is one of the most ambitious climate policies in the United States, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a cap-and-invest program.
Many of the students present, including Avery Hughes-Davis, a senior at iTech Preparatory, expressed their frustration with the initiative, suggesting that it would undermine progress only “starting to begin. I feel like with continued trust in this process, we can continue to impact the areas that we need to most,” Hughes-Davis says.
Opponents claim such progress includes, among other things, recent transportation and infrastructure projects undertaken by the state to improve sustainability. “A lot of students depend on public transportation… [Initiative 2117] would slash funding for that,” River senior Ashlye Triebs fears.
A recent report published by Greenlight Insights suggests the initiative could eliminate state investments into public transit by depriving the state of revenue by $3.9 billion through 2029. However, CCA revenue is restricted in that it must go toward transportation projects that “have direct climate and decarbonization benefits,” Gov. Inslee’s Deputy Communications Director Mike Faulk clarifies. “State law is very clear about allowable uses of CCA funding, and maintenance and preservation are not an appropriate use.”
During his conversation with students, Inslee defended the CCA, which he called “the best pipe of law in the United States,” and claimed the legislation will offer Washingtonians “the lowest fuel prices in America,” alluding to his push for an ambitious transition toward renewable energy, including the promotion of electric vehicles which have much lower fueling costs compared to gasoline vehicles.
Yet proponents of Initiative 2117 insist the CCA disproportionately burdens low-income and rural communities. These communities, they argue, are less able to absorb the rising fuel costs and have fewer alternatives to traditional vehicles, leading to inequitable impacts. Experts estimate the CCA’s tax on CO2 emissions added about 43 cents per gallon and about 53 cents per gallon to diesel in the first year of its implementation, and since the summer of 2023, Washington’s gasoline prices have been among the highest in the nation.
Despite the recent uptick in energy costs, the governor emphasized to students that “there is nothing, absolutely nothing in this initiative that can guarantee gas prices going down. Not a word, not a sentence, not a paragraph.”
Even so, Hughes-Davis feels that “with any of the [environmental] policies that we do implement… there will be sacrifices.” He thinks "It's just a matter of the future...if we don't stop to make sure that we take care of it, it won't be a world that we want to live in."
Inslee believes addressing climate change is “the most important thing in all our lives.” Pressed by CR News on whether his unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign – centered on combating climate change – failed to highlight the issue's urgency in progressive politics, Gov. Inslee defended his campaign's impact. “We got a great president. I'm glad I ran, and I'm glad we got good leadership from [President Biden]. And if I just hadn't been so obnoxious, I probably would have won.”
As the 2024 election heats up, River senior Nataline Debesay hopes events like the one she attended at Dandelion Teahouse & Apothecary open “up the community a little bit more,” to respectful discussion of political issues. Triebs expresses a similar optimism for the future, suggesting her generation is more unified and “tend[s] to agree more [on] environmental policy.”
With a mug in hand, Governor Inslee engaged in thoughtful dialogue with student advocates in our community, reinforcing that their voices today will help shape the environmental policy of tomorrow._____________________________________
CR News is a division of Columbia River Television Media. All Rights Reserved.
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