A fart tax? State lawmaker suggests sports fans pay up for methane emissions
Feb 6, 2025, 6:16 PM
Seattle Sounders FC fans cheers for his team at the stadium during the match between Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders. (Photo: Omar Vega via Getty Images)
(Photo: Omar Vega via Getty Images)
A Republican lawmaker made an unusual suggestion during a public hearing Thursday on a bill that could lead to taxing the methane emissions of cows. He asked — what if the state studied and potentially taxed the farts of sports fans?
The suggestion came during the public hearing on House Bill 1630 in front of the House Environment and Education Committee. The Democratically sponsored bill would require dairy farmers and operators of cattle feedlots to track the methane emissions from their herds and report the findings to the state.
Previous coverage: Could cow burps and farts be taxed under the Climate Commitment Act?
Critics of the bill say dairies and feedlots could end up being taxed for their cows’ farts and burps under the state’s Climate Commitment Act.
Republican Representative Mark Klicker (R-Walla Walla) questioned whether it was fair to single out livestock producers while ignoring other potential sources of methane — including large groups of people.
Klicker stated: “I can guarantee you, somewhere in this room, there is methane being produced.”
He went on to say the state is losing cattle herds and dairies that feed Washingtonians. Then he offered his suggestion to the bill’s prime sponsor, Representative Lisa Parshley (D-Olympia).
“Would you consider adding language that would include — might sound funny — studying the same thing at every Seahawk game, Mariner game, Kraken game or Sounders game? And if we need to put a head tax on people for that?” he said.
He added: “I think we could capture that and bring money into the CCA. And I’m serious because it’s all about production, that’s what we are talking about here, right?”
Representative Parshley, a veterinarian, responded by saying, “I don’t think there has been a study about that.”
Justice vs. safety: Washington lawmakers clash over sentencing reform bill
Difference between cow, human methane production amid potential cow fart tax
She explained the biological differences between cows and humans when it comes to methane production.
“Cows are herbivores; their diets, and their bacterial population within their gut, are radically different than ours, so the amount of methane produced through their eructation and flatulence, or burps and farts, are going to be different than ours,” she said.
While Klicker’s remarks seemed to be partly in jest, they also highlighted a broader concern among some lawmakers about fairness in emissions regulations.
His point was that methane is produced not only by cows but also by humans, yet only certain industries face scrutiny under the CCA, former Governor Jay Inslee’s signature legislation taxing air polluters.
Methane is an emission covered under the CCA. Large-volume producers must offset those emissions by purchasing carbon credits. In the case of oil and gas polluters, the cost of those credits is believed to have been passed on to consumers in the form of higher gasoline prices.
HB 1630 aims to bring livestock emissions reporting in line with other industries that must report greenhouse gas outputs under Washington’s Clean Air Act.
Under the proposed legislation, owners and operators of these facilities would be required to submit annual reports detailing the total metric tons of methane their operations emit. Scientists reportedly have stated that the average cow creates 200 pounds of methane per year.
More on MyNW: Judge grants injunction in WA lawsuit against birthright citizenship order
While Klicker’s suggestion of taxing sports fans for their farts and burps is unlikely to become law, his comments reflect ongoing concerns among lawmakers about regulatory fairness and economic impacts.
HB 1630 will face a committee vote on February 15. That’s when we will find out if studying human farts will be part of the bill — but for now, sports fans can breathe easy knowing they won’t be taxed for their game-day emissions.
Matt Markovich often covers the state legislature and public policy for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Matt’s stories here. Follow him on X, or email him here.
