Gas Tax-Newhouse Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. Still no word from Olympia as to why agricultural fuels are still being charged Washington’s new Cap-and-Trade gas tax that’s costing them millions.
U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse says this is having huge impact on rural parts of our state including agriculture …
NEWHOUSE … “The really concerning part of this is, you’re right, agriculture was supposed to be exempt, but the Department of Ecology did not put a process in place that was clear, that would allow farmers to claim that exemption.”
But, Newhouse says help might be on the way …
NEWHOUSE … “I see that legislation is being introduced in the next session to try to clarify and fix that problem, but it’s been kind of a mess so far and people are literally paying for the mistake that the state has made and the negligence in putting together clear rules and processes for that exemption to work.”
Newhouse believes the state’s goal here is to force us all into electric vehicles …
NEWHOUSE … “Those are all well and good, but our infrastructure is not ready for that. And if by charging people higher prices that anywhere else in the country to force this to happen, I think is not what the state government should be doing.”
Newhouse says they didn’t plan this out very well and, bottom line, they need to fix this because the people he talks to, are not happy.
