In a letter sent this week to Governor Ferguson, a group of Senate Republicans demanded that a special session be called to address how the so-called “Climate Commitment Act” affects our gas and diesel prices.
According to AAA, the average price in Washington for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline on July 1 was $5.125 per gallon. That is $1.27 per gallon more than the national average. This can cost the average driver of a car with an 18-gallon tank an extra $22.86 each time they fill up.
Despite what Democrats say, national foreign policy has nothing to do with this. The average price per gallon nationally on July 1 was $3.85 per gallon.
Sen. Judy Warnick (13th LD), the Senate Republican caucus chair, sent a news release sharing the letter. In it she states, “The governor may be frustrated by hearing repeatedly from Republicans about the need for relief at the pump, but that is nothing compared to the frustrations felt by Washingtonians who see others across the country paying nearly $1.25 less per gallon.”
In the letter, Republicans explain that the Democratic cap-and-trade carbon tax adds around $0.55 to the price of every gallon of gas, for a total carbon-tax impact of $0.60 per gallon on our fuel costs. This additional cost is even larger for diesel, which our agricultural sector and freight haulers pay — resulting in higher prices for food and other various consumer goods and services.
Washington’s cap-and-trade program is even more expensive than California’s and our Department of Ecology’s own data show the program is not achieving measurable progress toward reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
Instead of virtue-signaling their political agenda at the expense of families across the state, majority Democrats in Olympia should recognize the need for relief. Even Governor Newsom of California and Governor Hochul of New York, both Democrats, have recognized the need to make policy changes to alleviate the burden on peoples’ pocketbooks.
Our 2027 legislative session doesn’t begin until the second week of January. This issue can’t wait that long – it’s just too urgent for those struggling to make ends meet and shouldn’t be ignored.
Governor Ferguson has the constitutional power to order a special session and should do so right away. Senate Republicans are prepared to do what is needed to lower our energy costs.
Headed for yet another budget crisis
If you believe Democrats, the answer to a big budget deficit is to raise taxes. Over the past two years, they have passed the largest tax increases in state history, claiming the extra revenue would dig us out of the hole they spent us into.
How has that worked out for us? Not well.
According to the latest quarterly revenue forecast, we are headed for another budget crisis in 2027. That would be the third year in a row.
In fact, the forecasters said the economic factors they consider look weaker now than when the first-quarter forecast was announced in February.
Despite higher taxes, the situation is getting worse.
This is not uncommon for Democratic policies. The same thing has happened with homelessness and education — spend more for worse outcomes.
“The situation is still bleak, and it’s all due to the majority’s chronic overspending,” said Sen. Chris Gildon, R-Puyallup. “The state economy is not going to suddenly catch fire and bail Olympia out. Our unemployment rate is second-worst in the nation and job growth is expected to be slow. There are still more new and higher taxes coming for both families and employers. You don’t make living here more affordable by continuing to make it more expensive.”
Another budget shortfall is probable because Democrats would have to limit spending growth to 2.5% or else exceed the anticipated revenue – and history says they will fail. In recent years, the average spending increase under their “leadership” has been a whopping 15%. It’s unlikely they will suddenly become fiscally responsible and control spending.
One might think the governor would try to prevent a third straight deficit by promising to veto new spending and taxes. The trouble is, since taking office he has repeatedly made demands about both – only to roll over every time the majority has sent record taxes and record spending to his desk. After caving in and signing off, he tries to convince the people that we got a good deal.
That pattern is continuing, unfortunately. Governor Ferguson has already said he will propose a budget for 2027-29 that balances without new taxes, as if that makes him appear fiscally conservative. What he doesn’t say is that the law already requires him to do this.
Someone who is serious about ending this constant hemorrhaging of YOUR money would draw the proverbial line in the sand and force the Legislature to live within its means, using the veto pen as leverage.
But the governor is not saying that either.
READ SEN. CHRIS GILDON’S STATEMENT
Giant payouts reflect appalling negligence and abuse
Up until 2015, state government never paid out more than $100 million per year to settle legal claims against agencies. That’s a lot of money, but now the payouts total five times that.
Most of these lawsuits concern the Department of Children, Youth and Families and its predecessors for failing to protect the children under its care.
Sadly, the worst of these cases involve the neglect and abuse of children, some of whom have died.
The problem is state-agency mismanagement, including too few frontline staff and too many middle-managers.
Any preventable loss of life or injury to children is a price too high to pay for failures by adults.. While there is no single magic policy that will correct this systemic issue, Republicans have offered remedies in the past and will continue to push for solutions that can make a difference.