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OLYMPIA — Senate Democrats formally proposed this afternoon a plan to suspend the super majority required to raise taxes through the middle of 2011 and make other permanent changes to the tax-limiting initiative voters approved two years ago
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, called Initiative 960 a “straightjacket on our state in a time of economic crisis” and a requirement that gives a minority the ability to obstruct the Legislature.
Senate Bill 6843 would suspend through June 2011 the requirement that all tax increases must pass with a two-thirds majority, and make a simple majority the permanent rule for any tax increase needed to carry out a policy approved by voters in an initiative that didn’t come with its own source of taxes.
The most obvious examples of the latter would be money needed for smaller classroom sizes and for pay raises for teachers, which were both passed in voter initiatives in 2000 but have been suspended in tight state budgets.
It also would allow the Legislature to “clarify legislative intent” on tax policy if the state Supreme Court were to interpret the law as not allowing a particular tax or tax exemption. That’s significant in light of a court decision last fall that ruled against a tax for Dot Foods, an out of state supplier. That ruling is estimated to drop state tax revenues by $137 million per year.
Sen. Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, said the proposal was a prelude to raising taxes to bail out poor state budget decisions of the past. “It creates a climate of fear and apprehension that will only quash job creation and put more people out of work.”
Democrats have talked of their intentions to suspend the super majority since before the session began and Republicans have talked just as long that such a move would flaunt the will of the people.
Republicans have introduced a bill to “reaffirm” the two-thirds majority and initiative sponsor Tim Eyman has already begun gathering signatures on a ballot measure asking voters to reinstate the super majority in November. He and other co-sponsors filed the initiative on the first day of the legislative session.
The bill is one of two proposals being discussed by Democrats looking for a way around the two-thirds majority requirement imposed in I-960. The other would be to repeal it entirely, Brown said.
The bill has a title that some might regard as “high-faluting.” It is official called “Preserving essential public services by temporarily suspending the two-thirds vote requirement for tax increases and permanently modifying provisions of Initiative Measure No. 960 for improved efficiency and consistency with state budgeting.”
The bill will get a hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee Thursday afternoon, and likely come to the Senate floor sometime next week, Brown said.
Jim Camden is a veteran political reporter for The Spokesman-Review.
Jonathan Brunt covers Spokane City Hall for The Spokesman-Review.
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jvaughn50 on February 11 at 12:52 p.m.
Maybe changing the state seal is not so absurd. We are holding a contest to design a proposed Seal for the State of Washington. Initiative 1069 filing was leaked to the press and picked up by the Seattle Times and in a few short days has spread across the country and as far as the blogs in the United Kingdom.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2010962448_initiative_replace_state_seal.html
Now that Initiative 1069 has been recorded and assigned a number with the Secretary of State Elections, we are submitting our official press release. Feel free to post as a press release and in your blogs.
Jim Vaughn
Citizens for Economic Stimulus
253.241.9634
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
We created an initiative to replace our state seal from with the vignette of General George Washington as the central figure to a tapeworm dressed in a three piece suit attached to the lower intestine of the taxpayer as the central figure and encircling the vignette the words “Committed to sucking the life blood out of each and every tax payer.”
If you are like most people, your initial response is to chuckle or have a serious belly laugh. However, the sad truth is this is far from funny. Now that I have your attention, please spend a few minutes to read why I am serious about our government being fiscally responsible and to stop raising taxes.
Billions and trillions of dollars of debt is such an enormous amount of money that it does not seem quite real to the individual tax payer. This makes it easy for government officials to spend and spend and spend. However, the debt is real. As a result, it is time for our state government to quit raising taxes. We are not asking Olympia to more with less. We understand that it is time for Olympia to do less with less. It is time to prioritize spending and reduce government.
Ask yourself what happens when the economic stimulus money is spent and we have not created long term employment for our citizens that will allow us to repay our debt to China, Brazil, etc. We cannot expect them to lend us more money. As a result, the dollar will be devalued and we will see hyperinflation. It could result, in foreign countries refusing to trade with us. No money – No oil – we are back to horse and buggy days. This will not be the Great Depression, but the Greatest Depression.
The initiative has been assigned the number 1069 and we are having a contest for the design of the proposed seal and a design for bumper stickers. Upon completion of the contest 28 February, we will begin to sell bumper stickers as a show of force. We ask that you join us in our efforts to put pressure on Olympia to become fiscally responsible and to stop raising taxes as the governor had promised.
This is your chance to be part of a grass roots effort and have your voice heard not only in Olympia but send a message to Washington D.C. about government spending. Please send your designs for the seal and bumper sticker NLT 25 February, 2009 or support our efforts by ordering a $20 bumper sticker and/or sending a donation to:
Jim Vaughn
Citizens for Economic Stimulus
14416 168th Street
Orting, WA 98360
253.241.9645
Jvaughn50@comcast.net