Some Washington state motorists are getting deep discounts on gasoline prices from an unusual source: a political committee trying to kill the state’s fledgling carbon cap-and-trade market.
Let’s Go Washington, which is backing a November ballot measure to repeal the market’s authorization, has reimbursed owners of seven gas stations since late July for briefly cutting gas prices by more than $1 per gallon.
Opponents of the ballot question, who support the carbon market, filed a complaint with the state saying the tactic amounts to bribing voters.
The discounts aim to highlight gasoline price increases that Let’s Go Washington says the carbon market has triggered since it launched in 2023. Campaign workers and volunteers explain the issue to motorists as they fill up with discounted gasoline.
