Initiative efforts launching from right to left

Item number one: the Washington State Farm Bureau moved forward with its plans to attack growth management a couple days ago:

The Washington Farm Bureau, which began talking about a property rights initiative more than a year ago, set the process in motion Tuesday by vowing to fight government regulations that restrict land use.

A filing with the secretary of state allows the 34,000-member Farm Bureau to begin a relatively early campaign to collect 235,000 signatures by July 7. The goal is to win a spot on the November ballot.

Called the Property Fairness Initiative [more like the End of Zoning Initiative], the measure's intent is "to protect (the) use and value of property from excessive regulations by state and local government."

The Farm Bureau has its work cut out for it. Voters soundly rejected a measure 10 years ago that would have required local governments to compensate landowners when regulations reduced their property values.

The Farm Bureau also has opposition. We won't let them get away with distorting the truth and destroying growth management. We'll be working with groups like Futurewise this year to make sure this initiative is defeated.

Item number two: Brian Janssen, head of the local chapter of a right wing group trying to deform the education system, took some flak over the initiative proposal he's filed with the Secretary of State:

Some of the state's top education advocates are coming out swinging against a proposed initiative that would require school districts to spend 65 percent of their budgets in the classroom.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, the state teachers union and the League of Education Voters aren't waiting for the initiative backers -- part of a national grass-roots movement -- to gain momentum here.

"It's being called the '65 percent solution,' but we regard it as really 100 percent deception," said Charles Hasse, president of the Washington Education Association, which represents K-12 teachers statewide. "It's a shameful and deceptive effort to distract people from the real issues facing students and schools."

The two initiatives mentioned above are just half of the threat this year. There's also Tim Eyman's initiative to gut transportation funding and another right wing group's bid to destroy the estate tax.

But thankfully, there is some good news - a progressive initiative was filed yesterday:

A coalition of conservationists and clean energy advocates filed an initiative Wednesday that would require Washington state utility companies to increase the amount of renewable sources in their electricity supply to 15 percent by 2020.

Washington would join 20 other states and the District of Columbia that have a so-called renewable portfolio standard; Maine has the highest, at 30 percent.

Under the initiative, which would also require utilities to invest in energy conservation programs, utilities with more than 25,000 customers would have to meet 15 percent of their annual load with resources such as wind power, solar energy or sewage gas.

Supporters say such a move would stabilize rates for electricity customers, offer economic development opportunities for rural communities and add jobs, all while helping lower emissions.

"This initiative will secure Washington's energy future," said Sara Patton, executive director of the NW Energy Coalition, one of several groups that make up Washingtonians for Energy Security.

Finally, a progressive initiative that we can support. The other side already has four major initiative assaults underway. We now at least have a decent proposal that helps us create a sustainable future.

The coalition that filed this initiative includes U.S. Representative Jay Inslee, who has been very active on this very important issue. Democrats ignore energy at their peril, as this Kos diarist explains.

If you're interested in getting this energy initiative on the ballot, visit Washingtonians for Energy Security.