Oppose SB 5126 Cap and Invest

* 1. Concerning the Washington climate commitment act (Cap and Invest) SB 5126

This bill creates a cap and trade program requiring large greenhouse gas emitters to buy allowances at auction for each metric ton of emissions above a gradually decreasing cap.

Evaluations of cap and trade (aka cap and invest) programs largely show that, due to offsets and allowances, success in reducing emissions is negligible. Moreover, offset and allowance schemes allow polluters to continue their emissions-producing activities in BIPOC and low-income communities, with resulting adverse impacts on health and wellness.

Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on Thursday, February 25, 8:00 AM.

Please call or email the following members of the Committee and ask them to vote NO to SB 5126.

Click here to send an email to all four members of the committee.

If the above link did not work, please address your emails to:

Sen. Mona Das (D-47) – (360) 786-7692 – mona.das@leg.wa.gov
Sen. Marko Liias (D-21) – (360) 786-7640 – marko.liias@leg.wa.gov
Sen. Joe Nguyen (D-34) – (360) 786-7667 – joe.nguyen@leg.wa.gov
Sen. Derek Stanford (D-1) – (360) 786-7600 – derek.stanford@leg.wa.gov

Script: I’m writing to ask you to vote NO on SB 5126 being voted on in Thursday’s Executive Session in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology. As a cosponsor of the bill it’s important that you understand why I oppose it.

If you’re calling and you reach voicemail, be sure to speak slowly and clearly and say the bill number. And be sure to let them know if you are a constituent of their district!

Here are some talking points to include:

• Offsets and allowances allow polluters to continue their emissions-producing activities in BIPOC and low-income communities, with resulting adverse impacts on their health and wellness.
• The most recent language in the substitute bill directs half of the revenue into a fund for an omnibus transportation appropriations act, with no guarantee that the money would be spent on green transportation projects. This is completely inappropriate.
• Cap and Invest programs, like California’s, have failed to meaningfully reduce emissions. Instead they allow polluters to buy time to continue polluting.
• Direct regulation of polluters would be a more effective way of reducing greenhouse gases and co-pollutants.
• SB 5373 Washington Strong would be a more effective way of raising revenue and directing spending toward meaningful climate and resiliency investments.
• Sacrificing frontline communities for the sake of raising revenue for roads by means of a business-friendly policy that does not meaningfully reduce emissions is a travesty.