SB 18-13: Amendment to the Carbon Tax Act (Failed)

[Lumine]

Amendment to the Carbon Tax Act

AN ACT OF CONGRESS
To impose a tax on the burning of carbon-based fuels, and to incentivize minimizing carbon emissions through conservation, substitution, and innovation


Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled;

SECTION 1. TITLE

This legislation may be cited as the Carbon Tax Act.

SECTION 2. FINDINGS

Whereby the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia hereby acknowledges:

That increasing levels of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere are destabilizing established climate patterns and damaging ecosystems;

That rapid reductions in Atlasia's and other nations' carbon emissions are essential to avoid runaway climate destabilization and minimize severe weather events, inundation of coastal cities, spread of diseases, loss of forests, failure of agriculture and water supply, infrastructure destruction, forced migrations, political upheavals, and international conflict;

Current prices of electricity, gasoline, and other fuels reflect little or none of the long-term costs from climate change or even near-term health costs of burning fossil fuels, and this suppresses incentives to develop and deploy carbon-reducing measures such as energy efficiency

SECTION 3. TAX RATES

Following are tax rates consistent with charging $50.00 per ton of carbon (not carbon dioxide) emitted.
 Consistent with the intent of phasing this level in over a five-year period, the rates for years 1 through 4 will be calculated by multiplying the rates in the table by 20%, 40%, 60% and 80%, respectively.

All rates are expressed in dollars per million Btu of fuel.

---
Bituminous coal ----- $1.40
Subbituminous coal - $1.45
Lignite ----------------- $1.47
Crude Oil -------------- $1.12
Gasoline --------------- $1.07
Residual Fuel Oil ----- $1.18
Natural Gas ----------- $0.80
---

SECTION 4. REBATES FOR CO2 CONTROL

Paying entities may be eligible for a partial or total rebate of the tax payments if the paying entity can prove that some or all of the carbon dioxide emissions will be kept from entering the Earth's atmosphere for millennia.

SECTION 5. EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF FEDERAL REVENUES TO ATLASIAN CITIZENS (GREEN CHECKS)

1. 70 30% of revenues generated by the carbon tax shall be distributed on an equal basis to all Atlasian households on a quarterly time basis via cheque, which shall henceforth be referred to as "green checks."

2. 30% of revenues generated by the carbon tax shall be used to cover the costs of the Renewable Energy Rebate and Subsidy Act.

3. 10% of revenues generated by the carbon tax shall be used to fund federal grants for research and development to discover and implement new renewable energy sources and improve on existing sources.

4. 15% of the revenues generated by the carbon tax shall be used to aid in reducing our national deficit.

5. 15% of the revenues generated by the carbon tax shall be used to provide additional funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with no less than 33% of this funding being reserved for the National Weather Service (NWS)


SECTION 6. BORDER CARBON TAX ADJUSTMENT

Goods imported from countries without a carbon tax will be subject to a tax on their value upon importation equal to the cost of Atlasia's carbon tax for the amount of carbon involved in the production of the product.

This amendment is intended to redistribute how we spent the revenues generated by the carbon tax, and allow for funding towards new research in renewable energy and deficit reduction.

People's House of Representatives
Passed in the House of Representatives 7-1-0-1

Sponsor: Devout Centrist.
Designation: SB 18-13.

[Lumine]

We need a sponsor!

[Lumine]

Senators, it's been three days. This needs a sponsor.

[Devout Centrist]

I will sponsor

[Lumine]

I will sponsor

Thank you, Senator. 24 hours for objections.

[Devout Centrist]

This Act will amend the Carbon Tax Act. It will devote certain percentages of its revenue to programs that either reduce the deficit or help combat climate change. 'Green checks' will be reduced from 70% of the total revenue disbursement to just 30%.

I'm not fully sold on all parts of this bill, but I think it's a good idea on the whole. I'd love to hear some input from my colleagues on this bill's effects.

[Lumine]

Devout Centrist is recognized as sponsor.

Any thoughts on the bill from the rest?

[Devout Centrist]

I motion for a final vote

[ON Progressive]

I do prefer this distribution of funding to the current one, particularly since this funds green energy R&D, so I will support this.

[Comrade Funk]

Climate change is the greatest threat Atlasia faces today. This bill will not only help in the prevention in climate change, but R&D will spur future technological advances. I rise in support of the amendment.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I motion for a final vote

Senators have 24 hours to object.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I encourage Senators to vote down this proposal.    If the carbon tax is effective in its desired effect, the revenues will decrease over time as energy generators move to low carbon sources, which makes it an unstable revenue source for vital government programs, but makes it ideal for redistributing directly to the people whose energy costs are increased by the carbon tax during the period of energy transition.

[Lumine]

Senators, a final vote has begun. Please vote AYE, NAY or ABSTAIN.

[Comrade Funk]

Aye

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

As the original sponsor of the carbon tax, I have to say that my colleague, shua, raises a good point.  One thing I really like about the original carbon tax plan is that it contains a mini self-funded UBI that isn't means-tested, and these dividends would go a long way by redistributing money to people whose energy costs rise as a result of the carbon tax.

I second shua's call for senators to reject this proposal.

[Vern]

Abstain

[Devout Centrist]

Upon further consideration, I must stand in opposition to this bill.

There are better ways of funding these agencies without gutting green checks for our citizens. Cutting these checks by such a drastic amount would wreck havoc on a family's budget.

Nay

[ON Progressive]

I would like to thank Shua for his point that has made me change my view myself. These agencies can and should get funding, but not at the cost of our citizens.

Nay.

[At-Large Senator LouisvilleThunder]

Nay

Yeah, this wouldn't be a sustainable plan for the carbon tax revenue in the long run.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

NAY

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

This has enough votes to fail, Senators have 24 hours to change their votes.

[Vern]

I’ll change my vote to nay

[Lumine]

On a 5-1 vote this bill fails.