The orange skies above San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and elsewhere were an ominous sign of the climate crisis's increasing impacts and drive home the urgency of the moment. We need to act quickly to address this massive challenge—and one of the most important ways we can do this is by developing sustainable, zero-emissions public transportation in high-density areas.

Together, we can work across the divides of party and geography to advance a new and exciting industry benefiting urban and rural Washingtonians alike. It is time for us to revisit our roots as a timber state and do our part to reduce global CO2 emissions.

In the end, the Beverage Tax is a symptom of the larger systemic inequity that plagues Washington State through our unequal tax system.