Davis: Big Concerns In 2020 Include Low Carbon, Gas Tax

Looking at the 2020 Washington legislative session, scheduled to get underway in a few weeks, what concerns Tom Davis with the Washington Farm Bureau?  The continued push for a Low Carbon Fuel standard in Olympia.

"A lot of the conservation and environmental groups in the state have placed the low carbon fuel standard as their #1 priority.  And where that will really hurt our rural communities, our farmers that use a lot of fuel, is that could raise the fuel price from 30 to 50 cents a gallon.  And none of that money, that additional increase in the per gallon price for fuel will go toward road projects.”

Davis said in addition to the Low Carbon push, he’s concerned that lawmakers will look at additional gas taxes to offset the $30 car tab initiative voters approved in November.

“So, you’re going to have Low Carbon fuel standards increasing [fuel prices] 30 to 50 cents, and then on top of that another gas tax, all of that…you know, our farmers don’t drive Priuses.  The driving vehicles that use a lot of fuel because they are big heavy duty vehicles. And out city cousins seem to not understand that, despite as how often we have tried to tell them that story.”

Davis said he and Farm Bureau members will work in the coming session and beyond to continue to tell that story.

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