Washington
A trade group representing plastic manufacturers has given $500,000 to the effort to defeat an Aug. 18 ballot measure that would impost a 20-cent tax on disposable plastic and paper grocery bags. The July 17 contribution from the American Chemistry Council to the Coalition to Stop the Seattle Bag Tax was reported in monthly disclosure reports released recently by the Seattle Ehtics and Elections Commission.
Suburban Cities Association Executive Director Karen Goroski told the Snoqualmie City Council July 13 that her organization is preparing to oppose Initiative 1033. Goroski updated the council on what the organization was doing to advocate for the interest of King County’s suburban cities. Initiative 1033 seeks to limit the growth of local, county and state governments by not allowing general fund revenues to exceed the rate of inflation and population growth.
It’s looking more and more like people in Seattle will just say ‘no’ to the idea of a 20-cent fee on disposable plastic and paper grocery bags. A new KING5/Survey USA poll shows that the Aug. 18 ballot measure is opposed by 51 percent of the voters. Forty-two percent say they’ll vote yes. More troublesome for supporters of the bag fee is the fact that the survey shows that older people - who vote in bigger numbers in primaries - are really opposed the the bag tax. Fifty-seven percent of people 50 and older are opposed to the idea.
Professional initiative promoter Tim Eyman’s latest effort, Initiative 1033, has qualified for the Nov. 3 ballot. It would impose general-fund revenue limits on the state, cities and counties and would shift any excess funds above the limit into property-tax relief. Governments could exceed the limit with voter approval; the limit also would increase each year to reflect inflation and population growth.
A controversial plan to change the way Spokane’s government operates got one step closer to making the November ballot Monday night. In a 5-2 vote the Spokane City Council voted to allow the City Clerk to validate 5,100 signatures on a petition to bring a city bill of rights to the voters. The bill of rights would divert authority to neighborhoods and unions.
For many it seems as though 2008’s historic election season has barely just wrapped up. Not so for ballot initiative proponents who are already looking ahead to the next election. Already there are citizen sponsored initiatives on the ballot in three states: Ohio, Maine, and Washington. Numerous other efforts are going on all over the country to collect signatures in the hopes of qualifying for the ballot.
Measures on the ballot for November 2009
Maine -
- Excise Tax Repeal - November 3rd
- Act to Promote Tax Relief - November 3rd
- Medical Marijuana Initiative - November 3rd
- Act to Repeal School District Consolidation Laws - November 3rd
Ohio -
- Ohio Casino Initiative (pending) - November 3rd
- Ohio Livestock Care Standards Amendment (Legislative Referral) - November 3rd
Washington -
Washington state officials are ready to verify signatures for the only initiative that might appear on this fall’s ballot. Secretary of State Sam Reed says Initiative 1033 has turned in 315,444 signatures, not counting petitions that weren’t properly formatted.
Backers of the petition drive for Initiative 1043 in Washington State have failed to collect enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot. I-1043 would have required employers to use the federal E-verify system to confirm a every potential employee’s immigration status.
Island Transit is seeking voter approval for a measure on the Aug. 18 primary ballot that will boost its funding by $2.2 million. Formally known as the Island County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation, the transportation service is an autonomous municipality corporation.
Activist Tim Eyman spoke to the group, saying he still needs a few more signatures to put Initiative 1033 on the November ballot. The measure would reduce property taxes by limiting the growth of certain state, county and city revenue.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a Seattle law that prohibits engaging in speech, including petitioning, near a “captive audience”. The ban governed activity in the Seattle Center, the area near the Space Needle.
If it seems late in the season, it is ”” if you’re collecting signatures for ballot measures. Backers of Referendum 72 just got the final OK today to print petitions and go out collecting signatures to put their measure on the Nov. 3 ballot. R-72 sponsor Jerry Galland needs 120,577 valid voter signatures by July 25, just five weeks away. This one looks like a steep climb. But Galland says he’s going ahead regardless.
The proposed Transportation Benefit District sales tax increase that was narrowly defeated in November 2008 could be headed to the ballot again in November 2009. Or not. At its June 8 meeting, Interim City Manager Linda Herzog told the city council members they must decide by Aug. 11 whether to put the two-tenths of 1 percent sales tax increase for the Sequim Transportation Benefit District on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Tim Eyman sent out an email today, alerting reporters and his supporters that the Office of the Secretary of State won’t accept the petitions and signatures on July 3, which is a Friday and, as it turns out, a federal holiday. That moves the deadline to Thursday, July 2, for filing roughly 240,000 valid voter signatures. State elections officials notified initiative sponsors on June 8, spokesman David Ammons of the office of the Secretary of State says.