OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state voted to reject Initiative 2117 Tuesday night.
Votes to approve I-2117 were at 37%, while votes against the initiative were at 63%.
Initiative 2117 would have repealed the Climate Commitment Act, which requires the largest polluters to pay into a fund to compensate for carbon emissions.
The Climate Commitment Act includes the carbon market program, requiring the largest polluters to pay into a fund to compensate for carbon emissions. Since 2023, revenue from the program has exceeded $2 billion to benefit environmental programs.
Supporters of the initiative blamed the Climate Commitment Act for higher gas prices and alleged the money from the program is not being spent wisely.
Opponents of I-2117 believed that repealing the climate act would harm the state, resulting in more pollution and a cut in funding for environmental and transportation programs.