Washington voters this November will be checking their ballots for president, governor and many more offices, yet their best route to change our state’s direction may lie with six ballot initiatives. Activist group Let’s Go Washington, led by businessman Brian Heywood, has successfully guided all six measures to certification by the Secretary of State. Combined, the six overturn the most extreme examples of Washington’s progressive legislative overreach.
Heywood’s well-designed strategies explain the ultimate success of this labor-intensive effort.
First, the six issues, each addressing a persuasive topic, combine to attract centrist voters. I-2117 repeals the Climate Commitment Act, commonly viewed as contributing to our state’s high gasoline prices. I-2109 rolls back the tax on capital gains, regarded as the progressives’ theft of income. I-2111 explicitly bans state and local governments from taxing income. I-2113 loosens restrictions somewhat on law enforcement in vehicle pursuits. I-2081 affirms the right of public school parents to review student records, including their health and disciplinary information. It gives parental access to curricula and allows parents to opt their children out of school sex education classes. I-2124, the last to be certified on Jan. 25, empowers workers to opt out of the long-term health insurance tax and program, which has already drawn legislative attempts to fix what is widely regarded as a flawed concept.
Heywood and team trusted that prospective initiative signers would pause on street corners to sign six forms at a time. He made the pragmatic decision to supplement thousands of volunteers with paid signature gatherers. For each initiative, this move gained a comfortable excess of signatures over the 405,000 recommended by the Secretary of State. Repeal of the Climate Commitment Act proved the most popular, with 469,000.
A successful hedge fund executive, Heywood made the pivotal decision to loan or donate nearly $6 million himself to the effort. The theory, proved accurate, was that the number of enthusiastic initiative signers outweighed available volunteer hours, thus the need for supplementary paid labor. Heywood has now broadened the movement’s base of financial support, forming partnerships with groups Restore Washington, Family Policy Institute and others.
