State House votes to suspend Initiative 960, restore majority rule to our democracy
The Washington State Legislature has just miraculously done something that we scarcely believed the institution capable of a few years ago: It has, for the first time, neutralized a government-wrecking Tim Eyman initiative, restoring majority rule to our democracy in the process.
History was made first in the Senate, which voted twenty six to twenty two to suspend Initiative 960 last week. Minutes ago, after an excruciatingly long debate, the House followed suit by a vote of fifty one to forty seven.
The roll call was as follows:
I want to reiterate how incredibly historic tonight is.
Up until now, the only way to scrub a destructive Tim Eyman initiative off our books was to ask the state Supreme Court to find the measure in violation of our Constitution. (And in fact, the Court was asked twice to declare I-960 unconstitutional, and it declined to do so on each occasion).
Now, for the first time, the Legislature has stepped up, and our lawmakers have bravely done the deed themselves. In doing so, they've demonstrated more courage than our state's nine elected justices, who, as respected constitutional lawyer Hugh Spitzer has suggested, are terrified of having to actually consider whether I-960 is constitutional or not.
We are very, very, very proud of the seventy seven Democrats who voted for ESSB 1630. I myself want to express my profound gratitude to my own representatives, Larry Springer and Roger Goodman, and my senator, Eric Oemig, for being among those seventy seven Democrats. Kudos also to Speaker Chopp and Majority Leader Brown for showing steely resolve and backbone in getting this bill through the Legislature. All that remains now is for the Senate to concur with the House's amended version, and for Governor Gregoire to sign the bill.
History was made first in the Senate, which voted twenty six to twenty two to suspend Initiative 960 last week. Minutes ago, after an excruciatingly long debate, the House followed suit by a vote of fifty one to forty seven.
The roll call was as follows:
Voting Yea: Representatives Appleton, Blake, Carlyle, Chase, Clibborn, Cody, Conway, Darneille, Dickerson, Dunshee, Ericks, Flannigan, Goodman, Green, Haigh, Hasegawa, Hudgins, Hunt, Hunter, Jacks, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Kirby, Liias, Linville, Maxwell, McCoy, Moeller, Morris, Nelson, O'Brien, Ormsby, Orwall, Pedersen, Pettigrew, Quall, Roberts, Rolfes, Santos, Sells, Simpson, Springer, Sullivan, Takko, Upthegrove, Van De Wege, White, Williams, Wood, and Mr. Speaker (Representative Frank Chopp)Democrats who sided with the Republicans included John Driscoll, Deb Eddy, Fred Finn, Chris Hurst, Troy Kelley, Mark Miloscia, Dawn Morrell, Larry Seaquist, and Deb Wallace. Naturally, not a single Republican voted for the bill.
Voting Nay: Representatives Alexander, Anderson, Angel, Armstrong, Bailey, Campbell, Chandler, Condotta, Crouse, Dammeier, DeBolt, Driscoll, Eddy, Ericksen, Fagan, Finn, Haler, Herrera, Hinkle, Hope, Hurst, Johnson, Kelley, Klippert, Kretz, Kristiansen, McCune, Miloscia, Morrell, Nealey, Orcutt, Parker, Pearson, Priest, Probst, Roach, Rodne, Ross, Schmick, Seaquist, Shea, Short, Smith, Taylor, Wallace, Walsh, and Warnick
I want to reiterate how incredibly historic tonight is.
Up until now, the only way to scrub a destructive Tim Eyman initiative off our books was to ask the state Supreme Court to find the measure in violation of our Constitution. (And in fact, the Court was asked twice to declare I-960 unconstitutional, and it declined to do so on each occasion).
Now, for the first time, the Legislature has stepped up, and our lawmakers have bravely done the deed themselves. In doing so, they've demonstrated more courage than our state's nine elected justices, who, as respected constitutional lawyer Hugh Spitzer has suggested, are terrified of having to actually consider whether I-960 is constitutional or not.
We are very, very, very proud of the seventy seven Democrats who voted for ESSB 1630. I myself want to express my profound gratitude to my own representatives, Larry Springer and Roger Goodman, and my senator, Eric Oemig, for being among those seventy seven Democrats. Kudos also to Speaker Chopp and Majority Leader Brown for showing steely resolve and backbone in getting this bill through the Legislature. All that remains now is for the Senate to concur with the House's amended version, and for Governor Gregoire to sign the bill.
# Posted by Andrew : 10:35 PM
Comments:
How can you call this "majority rule?" It is in direct and flagrant opposition to the majority of voters that approved I-960. It is in fact a tiny majority (77 legislators out of 8 million residents) who chose to oppose the majority vote that approved I-960 in the first place. This makes a mockery of the entire initiative process.
Dennis, who do you suppose elected those seventy seven Democrats to govern?
The people of Washington State!
And who do you suppose has voted down Tim Eyman initiatives for two consecutive years?
Once again, the correct answer is... the people of Washington State!
It is irrelevant whether Initiative 960 was narrowly approved once upon a time. What is relevant is that a majority of people, voting in an election, have no authority to take away the rights of a majority voting in another election. But that is what happened in 2007. A narrow majority in November 2007 preemptively disenfranchised the majority that voted for this Legislature and this governor in November 2008. All lawmakers are doing now is neutralizing this injustice.
Initiative 960 is illegitimate because it outlawed majority rule from prevailing on fiscal decisons. Again, it doesn't matter whether the people of Washington wanted raising taxes to be hard or not.... they have no authority to deprive a future majority of their voice by changing the rules for passage of bills.
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