Greenhouse Gas bill

Greenhouse Gas bill

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today's Fruit Growing Report, I'm Bob Larson. A bill that sets stricter standards on greenhouse gas emissions has passed the House and now moves on to the Senate, but at what cost to growers?

Before passage, amendments for HB 1144 were debated and 15th District Representative David Taylor said talk is cheap when we have better alternatives ...

TAYLOR ... "As a matter of fact, it's the House Republican Caucus that has a plan in 2293 that will have true reductions that relies on reducing carbon and reforestation. We have a plan, but instead we're here debating benchmarks, and the inconvenient truth is, there's no technology now or on the horizon that will ever meet them."

Taylor says we should consider the consequences of such a bill ...

TAYLOR ... "When we look at the urban areas of Washington state that rely on the rest of Washington for fresh produce and fresh vegetables, we drive those goods to the urban areas. And, now we're going to, potentially, increase the cost of that which is a direct impact on our low-income families and frankly, as we hear all the time, our single moms."

Taylor says impact would hit growers especially hard ...

TAYLOR ... "We do things for certain industries in this state. We don't, actually, look forward to consider what votes we take here impact those industries and what happens when they leave. What happens when they leave? And, I guess, when we leave here tonight, turn the lights out because Washington-based (gavel noise) industry is done! (Speaker) The gentleman's time is up."

By 2025, the state would reduce emissions to 19 percent below 1990 levels, 40 percent by 2035, and 80 percent by 2050.

The House passed the measure along party lines, 50-48.

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