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Tag: Initiatives

Income tax on the wealthy?

Income tax on the wealthy?

As Washington’s initiative turn-in deadline looms Friday afternoon, Bill Gates Sr. and dozens of other income-tax advocates have turned in what they estimate at 360,000-370,000 Initiative 1098  signatures, and say they’ll add more late-arriving petitions before the doors close on Friday. The measure would impose an income tax on high wage-earners, while reducing the state share of the property tax and eliminating the business tax on many small businesses.  State voters have rejected income tax measures in recent decades, but…

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It’s raining initiatives …

It’s raining initiatives …

As we’ve noted, the initiative process is alive and well in Washington, with little apparent “chilling” due to the state’s policy of releasing signatures of signers. (The U.S. Supreme Court has just held the disclosure policy in an 8-1 ruling written by the chief justice.) We’ve seen a record number of initiatives filed this year (75 initiatives to the people and 4 initiatives to the Legislature), and we’re seeing turn-ins with very large numbers of signatures, nearly 400,000 in one…

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Costco booze measure first one in

Costco booze measure first one in

As expected, the I-1100 signature petition sheets were delivered to our Elections Division office at about 12:30 today, making it the first initiative this year to turn in sigs. I-1100, backed by Costco and other retailers, would privatize liquor sales in Washington. A spokesman for 1100 said that they collected more than 396,000 signatures in only 27 days. A minimum of 241,153 signatures from Washington registered voters is needed to make it on the November ballot, and we’re recommending that…

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“Hey, buddy, can you sign this petition?”

“Hey, buddy, can you sign this petition?”

If you’ve been to a Costco, a Wal-Mart or some other large store in recent weeks, you may have been asked that question. With so many initiatives filed this year (a record 79), and a number of initiative campaigns planning to turn in signatures by the July 2 deadline, people are seeing lots of signature gatherers in front of stores and other locations encouraging folks to sign their petitions sheets. As has been the case in previous years, we’re hearing…

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Initiative goldrush: a record 77 filed (so far)

Initiative goldrush: a record 77 filed (so far)

Washington’s initiative process is going gangbusters this year.  We’ve easily broken the previous record for most initiatives filed in a single year, with 77 filed already, eclipsing the 60 filed in 2003 and the 57 in 2008. We could easily meet or beat the record for most initiatives making the ballot, too, since  well-heeled individuals and groups are sponsoring some of these measures and presumably can afford to hire paid signature-gatherers in heavy enough numbers to make the ballot.  It…

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Gregoire signs hard-times budget

Gregoire signs hard-times budget

Governor Gregoire has signed a new budget for Washington state, but warns that we aren’t out of the woods yet. The Democratic governor signed the $31 billion spending roadmap Tuesday. Combined with a package of tax increases, the major budget revisions address a $2.8 billion gap that developed as the economy deteriorated after the 2009 legislative session.  A variety of taxes, including an additional $1-a-pack on smokes, taxes on bottled water and candy, and higher business taxes on some services, are…

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Income tax on high-wage earners?

Income tax on high-wage earners?

In the seven decades since Washington’s first (and only) voter-approved state income tax was thrown out by the state Supreme Court, voters have been asked regularly to revisit the issue.  It could be on the 2010 statewide ballot, if Bill Gates Sr. and other sponsors of Initiative 1077 collect enough signatures in the next two months. It’s the latest controversial issue to surface as possible fodder for the November 2 ballot. The potential plans are tax cuts, Tim Eyman’s anti-tax…

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Initiatives filed to privatize liquor sales

Initiatives filed to privatize liquor sales

Two initiative measures (here and here) that would privatize liquor sales in Washington state have been filed with the Office of Secretary of State. The measures will be reviewed by the state Code Reviser. After the initiatives’ sponsor gives the final OK, the Attorney General will write the ballot title and description for them. The ballot titles can be appealed by either side in Thurston County Superior Court. After all of this happens, petitions can be printed and circulated. It…

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Eyman, Gregoire clash over tax rollback

Eyman, Gregoire clash over tax rollback

Tax rebel Tim Eyman, already pursuing an initiative to restore the supermajority requirement to pass taxes in Olympia, now is weighing in with ballot measures aimed at rolling back all or part of the $631 million in new revenue approved by the Legislature this week. Eyman and his partners, Jack and Mike Fagan, have filed eight proposed initiatives that take aim at the 2-cent-a-can tax on pop, a nickel-a-can tax on beer, a $1-a-pack increase in the cigarette tax, a newly…

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Initiatives and lawmakers, part deux

Initiatives and lawmakers, part deux

For all the talk about big changes for Washington’s much-used, much-maligned initiative process, not a single initiative crackdown is passing this legislative session. There were a large number of bills introduced and considered by committees in Olympia, and some passed one house or the other.  But after crossover between House and Senate occurred and committee and floor deadlines passed, all of the proposals have died. These included plans to boost the initiative and referendum filing fee from the current $5…

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