Showing posts with label WA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WA. Show all posts

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Ballot Initiative ?= Public Will

I just filled out my ballot (Washington votes by mail), and something about the ballot measures struck me. They were completely unintelligible. In particular, Washington state initiative 1053, which would make it impossible for the legislature to raise taxes or fees without consent of two thirds of the legislature. As everyone who knows math or the Washington State legislature has realized, this means that 17 people can obstruct any tax or fee increase for any reason, trumping the will of the majority. To be fair, the measure does allow for a majority of the voters in a general election to overturn the veto of the 17 united holdouts.

I certainly think that it's a bad idea- just look at the budgetary and procedural woes of California. But my readers know that I don't usually comment on simple policy issues. I prefer the constitutional and democratic theory concerns. My biggest peeve with this ballot initiative is how it is framed on the ballot. If the ballot measure passes (i.e. if a simple majority of the voters vote 'yes' on it), 7 pages of text is inserted into the state code which would raise the two-thirds requirement from the dead. On the ballot, however, the text simply reads
Initiative Measure No. 1053 concerns tax and fee increases imposed by state government.

This measure would restate existing statutory requirements that legislative actions raising taxes must be approved by two-thirds legislative majorities or receive voter approval, and that new or increased fees require majority legislature approval. Should this measure be enacted into law?