Democrats pitch would-be fixes to curb soaring gas prices

Plus takeaways from Franz's face time with the unions

Inslee pitches his plan to rein in gas prices with some obligatory signage

Democrats have at long last unveiled a sort-of plan to rein in sky-high gas prices by making the private sector a whole lot less private. 

Month after month, Washingtonians have been paying the highest gas prices in the nation since cap and trade hit the books. On paper, that law was intended to curtail carbon emissions by making Big Oil pay for its carbon footprint and using that money to drive renewable energy development. In a totally shocking twist, the for-profit companies in the oil business did what for-profit companies do and foisted those costs onto customers, who have been shelling out almost five bucks a gallon in most of the state, per Triple-A.

Over the past few weeks, Democrats have opted to point fingers at Big Oil for pain at the pump, arguing the powers that be in the global oil market and corporate greed are to blame.¹ Mounting anger from commuters spending northward of three figures just to get to and from work spurred a press conference from Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday and the first serious conversation about what the state’s governing party intends to actually do about bonkers gas prices.