SMEA Professor and Associate Director Nives Dolšak, UW Director of the Center for Environmental Politics Aseem Prakash and Center for Environmental Politics Fellow Steven M. Karceski recently wrote an article featured on The Hill titled, “Read my lips: No new (carbon) tax.” The article considers why Initiative 1631, the carbon tax, is heading for defeat in the state of Washington, in spite of broad liberal support. The authors offer the reason for failure is straightforward: “Washingtonians (perhaps most Americans) do not like new taxes, especially when they perceive benefits from the tax increase going to groups outside of their community. They might support local bonds or levies for say schools, but not for mitigating climate change.” Several other tax measures were also voted down by Washington voters, such as Advisory Vote 19, which advises legislature to either maintain or repeal the expansion of oil spill response tax to oil and petroleum received by pipelines, and Initiative 1634, which prohibits local governments from enacting taxes on groceries. The I-1631 defeat will perhaps require environmental groups to revisit the legislative route again to enact meaningful carbon policy.