By Holli Johnson
Legislative Director
It is time once again to focus on the major issues of this year’s legislative session. The Legislature opened the 2012 session Jan. 9. This is an even year so it will be a “short” session lasting 60 days. It should be over by mid-March, but only if a balanced budget agreement is reached by then.
As we have in years past, the Grange will be advocating for proper funding for our county fairs and youth shows, a suitable fiscal budget for agricultural research, education funding, and numerous other Grange policies. But, this year we will also be working hard to ensure proposed legislation does not weaken our initiative process.
Currently, there are two proposals that would amend the state constitution. These proposals, which are slightly different, would essentially require the Secretary of State to reject any initiative for the ballot that will result in an increase in costs or expenditures of the state or local governments in excess of a specified dollar amount, unless the initiative also specifies a tax increase or new tax to offset that increase. The House proposal specifies that if an initiative costs state or local government $5 million it would be required to specify a new or increased tax to pay for those costs.
Grange policy opposes any attempt to weaken or eliminates the citizen’s current initiative process. The Grange pushed hard to make sure the initiative and referendum process was included in the State constitution. Article II Section 1a states, “The first power reserved by the people is the initiative.”
During the current recession lawmakers have been under a great pressure to balance the budget including the programs and services already in use, and have also been faced with funding a voter-approved initiative to provide more training for home health workers, at an estimated cost of $18 million over the next two years.
While I understand the difficulties, I feel amending the state constitution to weaken the people’s initiative process is wrong. Citizens of the state do not have access to the budget writers and numbers that legislators have, nor are we paid to do so. And frankly I’m not sure I would want initiative filers to make that decision. The fact is the people of this state voted in a costly initiative, and we will have to live with the consequences of the choices that will be made to enact our wishes.
Now is the time to contact your legislators and remind them where the Grange stands on the initiative and referendum process. Let them know the HJR 4224 and SJR 8218 weakens our right as citizens and should be left alone. Use the Legislative Hotline (1-800-562-6000) to contact your state legislator. You may also visit the legislative web site for contact information, scheduled hearings, bills of interest to you, House and Senate floor activity, and so much more at www.leg.wa.gov.
Remember to get on our e-mail list to receive daily and weekly updates during the regular legislative session.
Don’t forget to call your state legislators with your concerns. |
