Today is the deadline to file initiatives for the fall ballot. Here are some of the measures
.jpg "Today is the deadline for placing initiatives on the fall ballot.")
Friday marks the cutoff date for the more than 100 initiatives in Washington state that have been gathering signatures to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Initiatives need at least 324,516 signatures from voters by 5 p.m. Friday, and the Secretary of State has recommended sponsors gather at least 405,000 signatures in case some signatures are invalid.
Although anti-tax businessman Tim Eyman withdrew three of his initiatives in March, he is still sponsoring 40 of the other initiatives on the Secretary of State’s list, mostly with variations of self-explanatory subjects such as “We don’t want any kind of income tax,” “term limits on taxes” and “no carbon tax.”
Eyman currently owes the state of Washington more than $5 million for campaign finance violations.
State Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, well-known for his appearances at anti-vaccine rallies throughout the pandemic, is sponsoring 40 initiatives on the list. While some of those are targeted at income tax as well, Walsh’s initiatives have a bigger range of topics than Eyman’s.
For example, Initiative 1843 is an anti-Critical Race Theory proposal that would prohibit teachers in Washington from talking about “institutional, systemic, or structural racism; implicit bias; race or sex superiority; and stereotyping” to their students.
Additionally, Walsh has introduced several other initiatives to limit the governor’s emergency powers, something that Democrats also introduced in the legislature this year but failed to pass, as well as initiatives to prohibit governmental entities from requiring proof of vaccines to access public places.
Multiple initiatives on the state’s list are aimed at repealing the capital gains tax. The law was adopted in 2021 by state lawmakers and already has faced several challenges in court. The case will likely eventually head for the Washington Supreme Court, after facing hiccups in a state Superior Court.
Here are some of the other initiatives gathering signatures:
Initiative Measure No. 1819 – Would prohibit school personnel and security from physically restraining students or from isolating students.
Initiative Measure No. 1886 – Would allow those 21 and older to clinically obtain psilocybin products and services. The initiative would also require the Washington Health Department to be the regulating authority to determine standards such as dosage, testing and labeling. Employment drug screening for psilocybin also would be outlawed.
Legislators tried to pass a similar measure during the 2022 legislative session but the bill failed to make it to a vote.
Initiative Measure No. 1870 – Under this measure, controlled substances would be decriminalized. Additionally, the measure would use some of the revenue from cannabis sales for treatment and recovery services as well as provide training for law enforcement.
The measure’s language noted that “treating substance use as a crime, arresting and incarcerating people for drug possession offenses, makes matters worse by disrupting and further destabilizing their lives, and in some cases putting people at higher risk of overdose death.”
Initiative Measure No. 1924 – Would require retailers to show the total amount, including taxes, that will be paid at the register on price tags for items. This is already standard practice in the EU.
The full list of initiatives needing signatures can be found on the Secretary of State’s website: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/initiatives.aspx?y=2022&t=p
