Washington state voters reject carbon tax

Voters in Washington state on Tuesday rejected a proposed carbon tax that would have been the first such levy in the nation. The policy would have been an effort to fight climate change by mandating that companies using or selling fossil fuels pay taxes equal to $15 per metric ton of carbon, an amount that would rise in future years. The money would have paid for clean air and water projects, as well as community health initiatives. The proposal was one of the most aggressive attempts to fight climate change on the state level. Supporters saw the vote as a crucial test of whether carbon pricing can get support in the United States. A handful of countries have carbon taxes, as do some Canadian provinces, but no U.S. state does...MORE