U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA, 1), who stumped for I-937 in 2006—going across the state doing ed boards for the renewable energy initiative and raising the bulk of the $2 million to help pass it—issued this statement this afternoon about the news that the state Senate may amend the initiative:
“I am deeply concerned about the recent efforts in Olympia to water down the effect of I-937, the clean energy initiative that Washington voters approved in 2006. The success of these efforts would be a step backward in the development of renewable energy in forward-thinking Washington state.
“Passage of SSB 5840 would make Washington the only state in the country to have rolled back a renewable portfolio standard. That would send the wrong message to the rest of the country as President Barack Obama seeks to move the country toward a clean energy future. Weeks after President Obama affirmed his commitment to curb global warming by requiring that 25% of our nation’s electricity comes from renewable energy sources by 2025, this bill would destroy the foundation of our existing state law that works toward the same goal.” -U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee
This has cutting political ramifications if, as is expected, Rep. Jay Inslee ends up in a Democratic party fight with State Senate Majority Leader Sen. Lisa Brown (D-3, Spokane) for governor in 2012. Sen. Brown supports Sen. Chris Marr’s (D-6, Spokane) bill.
