State will pay rebates to farmers hit with fuel surcharges under WA climate law
Farmers and truckers who say they’ve unfairly paid fuel surcharges under the state’s cap-and-trade program may soon get some relief.
State lawmakers this session set aside $30 million for farm fuel users and haulers of agricultural goods to receive rebates. This follows frustrations among farmers and truckers who say they are not receiving promised exemptions from the extra charges.
“This is a victory for agriculture to have that acknowledgment from the Legislature that we weren’t just making this up,” said Bre Elsey, director of government affairs at the Washington Farm Bureau. “There has been a violation of the law.”
But the $30 million will likely only cover a fraction of the farmers who have been affected, she said. Elsey added that more needs to be done to get the exemption system working as intended. The Farm Bureau has sued, trying to force an overhaul of it.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/03/12/state-will-pay-rebates-to-farmers-hit-with-fuel-surcharges-under-wa-climate-law/