Initiative promoter Tim Eyman of Mukilteo today announced a new measure aimed at adding a supermajority requirement for raising taxes into the state constitution.
What he didn’t say today is whether he will hurry to put the initiative on the ballot this November or shoot for the fall of 2014.
“I will not announce the timing today but will announce very soon,” he said in a phone interview.
He said it will call for advisory votes every November to ask voters if they support a constitutional amendment to require new taxes be approved by a two-thirds majority of legislators.
“Seventeen states require a higher legislative vote threshold in their state Constitutions to raise taxes,” he said. “With a concerted, persistent effort by all of us, Washington will be the 18th.”
Eyman said the measure also would:
-Require certain tax increases be renewed every year; this would apply only to taxes passed by the Legislature that are not sent to the ballot for final approval by voters.
-Include in voter pamphlets how lawmakers voted and the governor acted on tax increases imposed after January 1, 2013. Again, this only applies to those bills passed by the Legislature and not put to a general vote.
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