Washington State Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy. Ybarra recently completed his sixth legislative session as a state representative, the short 60-day 2024 session.
December 1, 2022
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GUEST COMMENTARY: The state’s new specialty fuels tax is hurting Washingtonians. My legislation would fix that
Washington families are feeling the pinch everywhere they turn – at the grocery store, the gas pump, and in their monthly bills. Inflation may look better on paper, but for many people across our state, especially in rural communities, the cost of living continues to rise. One major reason for the increase is Washington’s specialty fuels tax. Diesel and other special fuels are the backbone of our economy. They power the trucks that move our crops, carry lumber, and deliver groceries and supplies to our stores. When lawmakers raise taxes on these fuels, the added cost doesn’t simply disappear, and the trucking companies don’t just absorb it. That added cost shows up in higher food prices, transportation costs, and prices for everyday goods. In short, Washingtonians pay more for almost everything.
Ybarra sees wins, disappointments in 2024 legislative session
OLYMPIA — Washington state Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, who represents the 13th legislative district, said there are a lot of things that went well during the short 60-day 2024 legislative session in Olympia. Ybarra said this was his sixth and best session, as he was able to put a lot more bills into the legislature. “I think it went better than the first five sessions I was at. This was the best session yet, because we're always playing catch-up,” he said. “There's nothing that we can pass because we lack votes, and that’s just a given, so because of that we always just basically try to stop bad bills.”