Challenges to Washington’s Millionaires Tax Measure

Let’s Go Washington gathered enough signatures to let Washington voters decide whether millionaires should be taxed 9.9% on their income. The group’s lawyers are contesting the ballot statement drafted by state attorneys.

The “public investment impact disclosure” on the ballot begins by saying the initiative will decrease funding for Washington’s budget. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown’s office gave this as the ballot statement: “This measure would decrease funding for public K-12 education, higher education (including universities and community colleges), and human services (primarily healthcare).”

The Let’s Go Washington lawyers filed a petition in Thurston County Superior Court pointing out the Initiative 645 ballot description is “is inaccurate and would create prejudice against the measure if it were allowed to be placed on the ballot.”

The group is proposing this for a ballot title: “This measure would increase funding for the 2026-2027 state general fund, which primary investments are medical assistance-programs, public instruction, and higher education.”

An open government activist, Arthur West also filed a suit in Thurston County Circuit Court asking that the “public investment impact disclosure” be barred from the information being posted on Initiative 695’s ballots.

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for this Friday, August 7th.

A law passed in 2022 by the Washington Legislature requires a disclosure of 15 words or less placed on ballots if a measure repeals, levies or modifies a tax or fee, or if it causes a net change in state revenue. Attorneys for the state write the one-sentence put right after the ballot title.

Source link: Washington State Standard — https://bit.ly/4xiNrmv