An initiative is a proposed law that the people vote on directly in their capacity as citizen lawmakers. Any registered voter in Washington State can propose an initiative and circulate petitions for it. If a petition receives signatures equivalent to 8% of the number of voters who participated in the last election for governor, it moves either to the Legislature for further consideration or gets placed on the ballot for a vote. Initiatives the Legislature rejects or doesn’t act on likewise get placed on the ballot for a vote.
Initiatives 2109, 2117, and 2124 will be on the November ballot. All of them are sponsored by Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh, funded by millionaire hedge fund manager and California transplant Brian Heywood (think Tim Eyman with a gigantic bank account), and aim to defund essential public services in Washington State, ranging from childcare and early learning to multimodal transportation infrastructure and long-term care. Below, you’ll find pages dedicated to each initiative so you can learn more about what Walsh and Heywood are trying to accomplish. Each provides an overview of the initiative, links to its text and certification information, the case for voting no, and a downloadable fact sheet.
Overview pages:
Initiative 2109
This is the initiative that would repeal Washington’s capital gains tax, paid only by the wealthiest state residents on their fortunes. Funding from the tax supports childcare, early learning, and school construction.
Initiative 2117
This is the initiative that would repeal Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, the law that requires polluters to pay for the climate-damaging pollution they’re emitting. Funding from the CCA supports clean energy projects, fare-free transit for Washington youth, and utility rebates for low and middle income households.
Initiative 2124
This is the initiative that would sabotage the Washington Cares Fund, a nation-leading effort to help the people of our state obtain funding to pay for their long-term care needs. The initiative seeks to trigger the collapse of the fund by permitting and encouraging a participation exodus.