The Association of Washington Business, the lobbying group for business in Olympia, wants to repeal legislation mandating statewide reductions in vehicle miles traveled (VMT, a widely accepted measure of how much people are driving, and thus how much pollution they’re creating) passed by the state legislature in 2008. The law calls for an 18 percent reduction by 2020, 30 percent by 2035, and 50 percent by 2050. AWB communications director Jocelyn McCabe says, “We support the repeal of VMT policies, and have been working closely with a variety of stakeholders on this issue.”
In its “Legislative Objective” on climate change, the AWB argues that the state should wait for federal regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions rather than attempting to pass legislation at the state level.
The Transportation Choices Coalition, which advocates for alternatives to single-occupancy driving, has identified protecting the VMT legislation as one of its top priorities for 2010. Noting that a work group created by the state found a need to “continue efforts to reduce inefficient travel wherever possible,” the TCC’s legislative agenda concludes, “The state cannot reach our [greenhouse gas] reduction goals without pursuing policies that reduce the need for people to drive.”
At a lunchtime forum this afternoon, TCC director Rob Johnson said, “We think we’ve got a good leg to stand on” with regard to the VMT legislation. “We’ve got some good allies to help fight off repeal, and also, this is one of those situations where the lack of oxygen”—that is, the number of competing issues in Olympia— “works in our favor.”
Additionally, the AWB writes, “Washington’s share of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions is less than three-tenths of one percent (.003), causing a negligible impact on climate change. … The State’s pursuit of additional policies to directly regulate GHG emissions threatens capital investment in manufacturing and other enterprises and the attempt to indirectly control emissions through land-use and transportation policies will stifle the construction industry.”
In addition to supporting the repeal of driving-reduction mandates, the AWB plans to oppose carbon pricing, support “policies that improve transportation efficiency and reduce congestion, such as lane capacity and highway expansion projects,” support expansion of hydro, nuclear, and biomass energy projects, and support green tech jobs.
