POLITICAL CLIMATE – People who want to get a sense of where the U.S. electorate stands on climate issues might want to look west and way down-ballot next week. Washington state voters will be deciding whether to keep or scrap their most aggressive climate policy via a ballot measure sponsored by conservative hedge fund manager Brian Heywood. Officials who preside over or are considering starting similar carbon pricing programs are holding their breath for how voters in a progressive state will respond to the backlash.