Washington state could be the first in the nation to enact a voter-approved carbon tax if a ballot initiative succeeds there in November, an outcome that supporters say would prove the political tenability of a major policy to combat climate change.

“Even being in a competitive position is a significant achievement,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat and rumored 2020 presidential candidate, told the Washington Examiner in an interview. “If it doesn’t happen this year, we are not done.”

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