Early election returns Tuesday night indicated that a 1 percent sales tax increase to create an education trust fund was failing statewide, as was a measure that would allow gambling in neighborhoods in exchange for reducing property taxes.
In addition, early statewide returns showed voters approving a new way of picking candidates in primary elections, and – for the third time since 1996 -turning down a measure to allow charter schools.
Initiative 297 appeared to be passing, which would require cleanup of contaminated waste at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Eastern Washington before more waste could be added.
I-892: Gambling for property tax reduction
Washington voters apparently don’t want increased gambling in their neighborhoods in exchange for reduced property taxes.
Initiative 892, sponsored by anti-tax guru Tim Eyman, trailed in early voting totals. If the trend continues, it would mark only the second time that an Eyman-sponsored initiative has failed to pass voter muster.
Earlier, another Eyman initiative that would have redirected how transportation money is spent was shot down by voters,
Laura McClintock, spokeswoman for the anti-892 campaign, said voters saw it as a gambling measure, not a tax-saving move.
“They saw it for what it was, and they didn’t want it and they voted resoundingly,” McClintrock said.
The measure proposed that electronic slot machines similar to those at tribal casinos be allowed in other gambling establishments. Some 18,000 of them would have been permitted in about 2,000 bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and other places around the state.
Gambling interests would have taken about 65 percent of the take, while the state would have gotten 35 percent for property tax reduction.
The state Office of Financial Management estimates the tax savings would have been around $252 million by the year 2008. That would have saved the owner of a $200,000 house about $64 a year in property taxes.
Eyman said the measure leveled the playing field for nontribal, over-21 establishments that already allow gambling.
Opponents, fueled by a $5 million war chest contributed by tribal interests, played up the spread of gambling to neighborhoods and stressed that the presence of the machines might increase the amount of wagering and problems from gambling addiction.
McClintock said nontribal gambling interests paid nearly $1 million to get the measure on the ballot and put Eyman up front to push it.
“You can’t wrap your special-interest legislation in a tax-cut measure and put Eyman out there to sell it and expect voters to fall for it,” she said.
Initiative 872: New primary election system
Voters around the state overwhelmingly approved an initiative that would revamp how the state’s political primary is run.
Under I-872’s “top-two” concept, voters would cast ballots for any candidate in a given race, regardless of party affiliation. Voters also would not have to pick the ballot of a single party, something that rankled many voters on Sept. 14.
Under the top-two primary, the two candidates in each race who receive the most votes would go on to the general election, no matter what party they belong to. So two Democrats or two Republicans could end up facing each other in the final election.
The measure, proposed by the Washington State Grange, drew opposition from Republicans, Democrats, two minor parties and the League of Women Voters.
The state was forced to come up with a new primary because the blanket primary of the past – in which any candidate could be picked, no matter what party – was struck down in court.
Referendum 55: Charter schools
Referendum 55 gave voters a chance to either endorse or reject a decision by the Legislature last spring to approve charter schools, which would receive public funding but would operate with a looser regulatory leash.
The measure was failing statewide in early returns Tuesday night, including in Snohomish County.
Other charter school measures in Washington failed in 1996 and 2000.
Backers saw charter schools as a chance for families to have a greater choice in their children’s education; opponents feared it would chisel away at an American cornerstone – the public education system.
Jennifer Lindenauer, a member of the Reject Referendum 55 campaign, said she was not surprised with the results.
“We hope the third time is a charm,” she said. “Hopefully, after the third time in a row, the Legislature will get the message and fully fund public schools instead.”
Jim Spady, a longtime charter schools advocate, said it was too early to predict the outcome. He added he wouldn’t give up if the measure fails.
“Education is a basic civil right no matter what the outcome,” he said. “Thousands of kids across the state aren’t graduating. If the system continues to fail them, we will continue” to try to pass charter schools.
Initiative 884: School sales tax increase
The initiative to create a $1 billion-a-year education trust fund with money collected from a new 1-cent increase in the state sales tax was failing in early returns Tuesday night.
Sales tax rates vary from community to community based on options. It could have reached close to 10 cents on the dollar in some communities.
Educators say the initiative would help students from preschool through college.
I-884, for instance, would have created 32,000 new openings at colleges and universities. Everett and Edmonds community colleges would each have received funding for 1,000 more students.
Reporters Eric Stevick and Katherine Schiffner contributed to this report.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
Initiative 872 (Top-two primary): PASSED
Initiative 892 (Gambling/property tax cuts): PASSED
Initiative 884 (Education trust fund/sales tax increase): PASSED
Referendum 55 (Charter schools): PASSED
Initiative 892 (Gambling/property tax cuts): FAILING
Initiative 872 (Top-two primary): PASSING
Referendum 55 (Charter schools): FAILING
Initiative 884 (Education trust fund/sales tax increase): FAILING
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