Since WA Carbon Tax Began, Gas Prices Up 8 Weeks in a Row

According to revised data from AAA and reported by The Center Square, since WA State's new carbon tax went into effect, gas prices have risen 8 weeks in a row.

 Statewide average is nearly a dollar higher than national

When the carbon tax (as well as low carbon fuel standard) went into effect in WA State this year, citizens were repeatedly told by the Governor as well as the Department of Ecology that fuel prices wouldn't really budge. That has not happened.

AAA reports the statewide average is now at $4.23 per gallon of regular unleaded, a penny higher than a week ago. According to The Center Square:

"Residents of the Evergreen State have to dig deeper into their wallets than most. Washington’s pump prices again came in at fourth most expensive nationally, being beat out only by Nevada, Hawaii, and California, who filled out third to first on the list."

  According to a report from The Washington Policy Center's Todd Meyers on January 19th, when the Co2 tax went into effect, fuel prices at the pump jumped $.10 cents. According to Meyers, when confronted about the early-stage fuel price raises, Gov. Inslee said it was "nuts" to blame it on a program that had just barely started.

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However, many experts predicted the jump, because fossil fuel companies (gas, oil, refineries, etc.) were preparing for the tax hikes, and this is a 'normal' business-economic occurrence unlike what Inslee and the DOE claimed.