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Tag: state income tax

Initiative petition release green-lighted

Initiative petition release green-lighted

The Office of Secretary of State has begun the process of releasing copies of petitions for about a dozen initiatives, most sponsored by initiative activist Tim Eyman. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks on Friday lifted his previous ban on releasing initiative and referendum petitions under the state’s voter-approved Public Records Act.  The Secretary of State’s public records officer, Brenda Galarza, on Tuesday began making arrangements with individuals who had requested the petitions submitted for 11 initiatives in earlier…

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Voters wild about `direct democracy’

Voters wild about `direct democracy’

The use of  the initiative and referendum process ebbs and flows from year to year, seeming to track the economy and whether interest groups believe Olympia is attentive to their issues.  This year is one of those high-watermark years, with a record 75 initiatives to the people  filed and six headed for a statewide vote after meeting the significant signature requirement. According to a new tally from the state Elections Division Thursday, 2,230,902 signatures were submitted this year in support…

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WA income tax plan headed for ballot

WA income tax plan headed for ballot

Initiative 1098, a plan by Bill Gates Sr. and others to authorize an income tax on the wealthy and reduce some other taxes, is headed to the statewide ballot in Washington. Although state officials are investigating apparent fraud by one of the campaign’s signature gatherers, the  state Elections Division announced late Thursday that a 3 percent random check of the huge number of unchallenged signatures showed easily enough valid signatures to assure a spot on the ballot. The campaign had…

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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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WA Poll: Dino-Patty, pot, income tax and more …

WA Poll: Dino-Patty, pot, income tax and more …

The Washington Poll from folks at U-Dub shows a potentially tight race for U.S. Senate and support for both a state income tax on high-wage earners and re-asserting a two-thirds supermajority requirement for raising taxes in Olympia. The statewide poll, conducted May 3-23, has Democratic Sen. Patty Murray at 44 percent and Republican Dino Rossi at 40 percent.  Rossi, the Republican candidate for governor in the past two elections, was expected to jump into the Senate campaign on Wednesday.  The…

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