Gregoire signs climate bill into law

Christine Gregoire signed a bill today that the requires Washington to dramatically reduce its carbon emissions to the level they were in 1990 by 2020, followed by 25 % reductions from that level for the each of the following fifteen year intervals. The bill also looks to create "green collar" jobs through incentives and requires the state to join in on regional carbon reduction coalitions with other states.

In addition to this, the release claims "the bill doesn’t legislate individual behavior or limit personal freedom." It also predicts to boost the state's economy by $1 trillion by 2020.

"This is another example of Washington leading the way on climate change by being clean, green and competitive," Gregoire said. "Because we are acting now, we will capitalize on unique and exciting economic opportunities and increase our competitive edge in the world economy."