Washington State Republicans Want To Keep You in the Dark
It was easy to miss. Last Sunday in the Northwest section of the Spokesman Jim Camden’s “Spin Control” unflashily presented “Judge: Voters deserve fiscal statement for 3 initiatives on the ballot.” Ho hum, more legal wrangling. Wrong. State Republicans tried to use the state courts to keep you in the dark—and the back story should make us voters hopping mad.
Three “Initiatives to the Legislature” will appear on the November ballot. The Republicans backing them really don’t want you the voter to know what the effect would be of passing them. Why? I-2109, for example, would repeal the Washington State Capital Gains excise tax. The state Republican leadership doesn’t want you to know that the first $500,000,000 from that excise tax (that’s half a billion dollars!) is earmarked to support public schools. They just tried to use the Washington State courts to keep that information off the ballot. Undoubtedly, these same folks will try to convince you before November that the capital gains excise tax somehow threatens your wallet. Horse feathers.
None of these Republican initiatives arose from a grassroots effort. They were hatched and funded by two men, Washington State Senator and chairman of the Washington State Republican Party Jim Walsh, and Brian Heywood, a wealthy California transplant who stands to benefit financially from I-2109. Heywood put up six million dollars to pay signature gatherers.
In 2022 Washington State passed a law requiring the addition of a “Public Investment Impact Disclosure statement” to ballot measures that have a fiscal impact. The statement is to be prepared by the state’s attorney general and appear in this form: "This measure would (increase or decrease) funding for (description of services).” What could be more reasonable? Sunlight is, after all, the best disinfectant. If, by voting for I-2109, you’re going to defund public schools it would certainly be a good thing to have that information.
As Camden’s Spokesman article details, providing information to the voter must have set off alarm bells with Washington State Republicans pushing these initiatives for partisan gain. Heavens! We wouldn’t want the voters to be informed! State GOP chairman Jim Walsh got right to work trying to convince Thurston County Superior Court Judge Allyson Zipp to issue a “writ of mandamus” to keep the legally required information off the ballot. Judge Zipp declined.
Below I have included a copy of my February 5th analysis of the “Republican Greed Initiatives.” It is worth reviewing—and talking over—well before the election.
The sordid back story of the three initiatives that will appear on the November ballot needs airing—tell a friend. Let’s make sure that voters see these initiatives for what they are.
Dr. Jerry LeClaire is a retired Spokane ophthalmologist who now authors an insightful political blog Indivisible--The Hign Ground. Now in its seventh year, his High Ground columns focus on political issues that are relevant in Spokane and throughout Eastern Washington.