Washington voters approve pro-natural gas measure
As supporters celebrated Fridays passage of a ballot measure blocking Washingtons efforts to phase out the use of natural gas in homes, opponents vowed to continue their fight in court.
Initiative 2066 targets the states combination of regulations and laws to move swiftly away from natural gas toward technology like electric heat pumps. It was passing with 51.5% of the statewide vote.
It is winning in 33 counties, including Snohomish, Pierce, Spokane and Clark. The strongest opposition is in King County where roughly 60% of voters are rejecting it.
A coalition led by the Building Industry Association of Washington drew up the measure and enlisted Lets Go Washington, a conservative political committee, to gather signatures between mid-May and early July to get the measure on the ballot. They submitted nearly 550,000 signatures.
Greg Lane, BIAWs executive vice president, called the effort truly inspiring.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/11/08/washington-voters-approve-pro-natural-gas-measure/