Washington Supreme Court To Rule On Pollution Tax Today - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

UPDATE: Washington State Supreme Court Says Pollution Tax Constitutional

Posted: Updated:

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - The state Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the state's existing hazardous substances tax, which was approved by voters in 1988, is constitutional.
    
The high court on Thursday upheld a King County Superior court ruling that found that the state is not precluded from using the current tax of 0.7 percent imposed on oil products, pesticides and other chemicals for environmental cleanup projects.
    
The Automotive United Trades Organization and California-based Tower Energy Group had argued that the underlying tax is essentially a gas tax, and should be only used for highways and roads as directed the state Constitution's 18th amendment, which dedicates motor fuel tax collections to "highway purposes."

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)