Eyman has new Washington initiative
OLYMPIA – Activist Tim Eyman may have the initiative slate to himself this fall after turning in boxes of petitions that he said will guarantee an audience with voters.
State officials said Eyman’s latest campaign – Initiative 960, an anti-tax measure – was the only one to turn in signatures by Friday, the last day for initiative submissions.
Under state law, initiative promoters must collect nearly 225,000 valid voter signatures to qualify measures for the ballot.
Eyman, flanked by partners Mike and Jack Fagan of Spokane, said he was dropping off more than 314,000. Secretary of State Sam Reed may have the petitions verified by month’s end.
Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire already has called Eyman’s latest measure unnecessary. Other critics, including environmentalists and labor unions, plan an opposition campaign and have challenged the measure in court.
I-960 would make it harder for the Legislature to raise taxes by broadening existing requirements for a two-thirds majority to pass tax increases.
If lawmakers can’t get that supermajority, they’d have to submit taxes for approval by a simple majority of voters. And even if taxes clear the two-thirds hurdle in Olympia, they would be subject to a nonbinding public advisory vote.
Fees imposed by state agencies also would be subject to approval by the Legislature.
The initiative also would require the state budget office to provide a flood of information about every tax and fee bill introduced in Olympia, including estimates of how much they would cost taxpayers over 10 years.
Eyman said the initiative is needed because lawmakers have found too many ways to skirt the existing supermajority voting rules.
An ongoing court challenge to I-960 argues that facets of Eyman’s measure need a constitutional amendment, not a citizen initiative. The courts, however, typically don’t weigh in on the constitutionality of measures before they get a vote.
The “No on I-960” campaign includes the AARP, the Washington Education Association, the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and the politically active Service Employees International Union Local 775.
Their message is: Eyman’s measure will gum up efforts to pay for the priorities voters have asked lawmakers to tackle, spokesman Christian Sinderman said.
“This is just a monkey wrench designed to create more bureaucracy and confuse voters,” Sinderman said.
Eyman has raised about $550,000, including some $400,000 from Kirkland investment executive Mike Dunmire.
Most of the money was spent during signature gathering, and Eyman declined to say Friday how much he thinks the rest of the campaign will cost.
Referendum sponsors, meanwhile, need fewer signatures and have until July 21 to submit them.
At least one referendum is expected to make the ballot. R-67 would let voters decide whether to keep a new law that allows consumers to sue insurers for triple damages for unreasonably denying a claim.