Judge rules against latest Eyman measure

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Joe Copeland

Joe Copeland Jan 12, 2018

Jan 12, 2018

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                <h1>Judge rules against latest Eyman measure</h1>
                <h2><p>King County Superior Court Judge William Downing today ruled against Initiative 1366, the latest attempt to force lawmakers to have two-thirds approval of any tax increases. The measure, passed by voters in November, calls for lowering the state sales tax unless the Washington Legislature sent voters a constitutional amendment that</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/joe-copeland-crosscut-com/">Joe Copeland</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jan 12, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>King County Superior Court Judge William Downing today ruled against Initiative 1366, the latest attempt to force lawmakers to have two-thirds approval of any tax increases. The measure, passed by voters in November, calls for lowering the state sales tax unless the Washington Legislature sent voters a constitutional amendment that would require two-thirds approval for new taxes or tax hikes. The ruling will be appealed.</p><p>Republicans promptly denounced the ruling, with the party's likely gubernatorial nominee Bill Bryant saying that the initiative is a blunt instrument "but it is going to take a blunt instrument to get Olympia practicing fiscal discipline, respecting taxpayers’ money and setting priorities."</p><p>Downing found that the mixing of a constitutional amendment requirement with the sales tax cut left no way of determining the public's precise voting intentions, and he said the measure as a whole usurped the Legislature's role.</p>
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King County Superior Court Judge William Downing today ruled against Initiative 1366, the latest attempt to force lawmakers to have two-thirds approval of any tax increases. The measure, passed by voters in November, calls for lowering the state sales tax unless the Washington Legislature sent voters a constitutional amendment that would require two-thirds approval for new taxes or tax hikes. The ruling will be appealed.

Republicans promptly denounced the ruling, with the party's likely gubernatorial nominee Bill Bryant saying that the initiative is a blunt instrument "but it is going to take a blunt instrument to get Olympia practicing fiscal discipline, respecting taxpayers’ money and setting priorities."

Downing found that the mixing of a constitutional amendment requirement with the sales tax cut left no way of determining the public's precise voting intentions, and he said the measure as a whole usurped the Legislature's role.

By Joe Copeland

Joe Copeland is the former senior editor&nbsp;for Crosscut, where he has been an editor since 2010. Before that, he was an editorial writer and columnist for the Seattle P-I and editorial page edi