OLYMPIA — A Senate panel is weighing whether to repeal the requirement that non-binding tax advisory votes appear on ballots for future elections.
A provision under an initiative voters approved in 2007 gives the public the chance to weigh in on tax increases, even though regardless of the outcome, no changes in state law occur from the votes.
A bill to remove those measures from the ballot, which received a public hearing before the Senate State Government, Tribal Relations and Elections Committee on Tuesday, would replace the advisory votes with a task force that would provide recommendations to the Legislature by Dec. 1 on how to gather and report public input on tax bills.
Democratic Sen. Patty Kuderer, the sponsor of Senate Bill 6610, said advisory votes are “a waste of taxpayer dollars that’s designed to instill cynicism and distrust in government and the decisions made by elected leaders.”
“Constituent feedback is a good thing and we want that,” she said. “I think lawmakers would value genuine feedback from voters, but not through a push poll.”
Elections officials from three counties testified in support of the bill, saying that the advisory votes take up a large amount of space on already crowded ballots and confuse voters who think they are voting to enact or repeal something.
“Not only are advisory votes confusingly written they have no impact on our voters’ lives or taxes, so this continues to feed into a narrative that voting doesn’t matter,” said Julie Wise, elections director for King County.
Initiative promoter Tim Eyman, who is the architect of the advisory votes and is running for governor this year, testified against the measure, calling it an “arrogant, elitist bill.”
“This bill sends a very clear message to voters: we don’t care what you think, we have no interest in your opinion,” he said, telling lawmakers that if they don’t want advisory votes they should stop raising taxes.
On last year’s November ballot, voters were presented with a dozen of the non-binding votes on revenue bills approved by the Legislature last year, including an increase in business and occupation taxes on large banks and a change to the state’s real estate excise tax. Voters voted against nine of the taxes and in favor of three of them.
Jay Jennings, the legislative director for Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman, said more than 815,000 voters approved creation of the advisory votes, and said last year’s vote indicated that voters are still interested in weighing in on tax measures.
“Secretary Wyman cannot recommend replacing these measures and this sentiment with a task force, no matter how well meaning,” he said.
