Pro-taxpayer ballot initiatives could be certified before lawmakers gavel in

(The Center Square) – At least two of the recently submitted citizen initiatives to the Legislature from the taxpayer advocacy group Let’s Go Washington may be officially certified before the start of next week’s legislative session.

That would make them a much higher priority for time and attention for state lawmakers, knowing if they do nothing during the 60-day session, all six measures would appear as written on the fall 2024 ballot.

“I believe all six initiatives have been provisionally certified, which I believe means they have enough signatures if the rejection rate is kind of the standard rejection rate,” House Speaker Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, said during Thursday’s pre-session meeting of legislative leaders before members of the press in Olympia.

She went on to say, “We won’t get final certification until mid-February, so that means they may not be referred to committee until then.”

Jinkins added, “I’m very saddened when I think of why the initiative process was established in this state.”

She decried the group behind the initiatives, Let’s Go Washington, and its founder, Brian Heywood.

“Now what we have is an ultra-wealthy multi-millionaire buying his way onto the ballot, to benefit his ultra-wealthy status,” Jinkins said.

She concluded, “We’ll have to make decisions about whether or not those are heard, or whether or not we’ll consider alternatives … I have a great deal of confidence in voters.”

Sen. John Braun, R-Auburn, fired back.

“People care about climate change of course, but they also think it should be something we can handle without breaking the backs of hard-working Washingtonians,” the Senate Republican leader retorted.

He was referencing the Climate Commitment Act and the higher gas prices that followed its implementation at the beginning of 2023.

Repealing the state’s cap-and-trade law is the focus of one of the initiatives. The others concern police pursuits, the long-term care payroll tax, capital gains taxes, local income taxes, and parental notification concerning education.

“I have to push back on the timeline, as the Secretary of State’s office has said two of the initiatives should be officially certified before next week, and constitutionally we are supposed to consider those top priorities, right after the budget,” Braun added.

“There should be two issues next Monday, whichever are certified and he [the Secretary of State’s Office] did say the last one should be certified by Feb. 9, so we ought to be focused on these right away and we can talk about how they got on the ballot, that’s an easy way to distract from the fact that we had a record number of voters signing these petitions, it’s because they are frustrated.”

More than 2.6 million registered voters signed the petitions in all.

Rep. Drew Stokesbary R-Auburn, then brought up the Stuart Elway Poll released Thursday in partnership with Crosscut.

“Washingtonians want to be heard, with more than 400-thousand voters signing each of the measures,” the Republican house leader added. “Fifty-seven percent said they want to repeal the capital gains tax, about 60% want to reform police pursuit laws, clearly there is an appetite for change and it’s time to fix what’s broken.”

Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, told reporters all the initiatives “seek to roll back progress, and I have confidence in voters that once all the information gets out there, people do want to take part in the responsibility for climate change, and maybe we do come up with some ways to make it better, I mean on the CCA there’s the idea of linking with Quebec and California and I think everyone agrees that’s a good idea.”

The Senate majority leader went on to say, “I saw in the poll people want lower taxes. I want lower taxes, too. And people want more investment in state services. I want that, too. It’s hard to have both. The people will get their say.”

The 60-day legislative session begins Monday, Jan. 8.