Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Informed Voter Guide 2010

8/8/2019 Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Informed Voter Guide 2010

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The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Legislator Hyde . . . . . . . . .

B dget Backgro nd and Balance Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Key Bills from the 2010 Legisla ve Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How They Voted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hey! Big Spender: How m ch did yo r legislator cost yo ? . . . . .

Only the Good Bills Die Yo ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lawless Lawmakers: R les bent and broken in Olympia . . . . . . . .

Ques ons for Candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Who We Are . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE INFORMED VOTER GUIDE

2010

Tools for ci zens who want tohold their legislators accountable

for governing well

A PUBLICATION OF THE EVERGREENFREEDOM FOUNDATIONPO BOX 552, OLYMPIA, WA 98507 360.956.3482 WWW.EFFWA.ORG

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In memory of Ansgar Schei, a Founding Trustee, who passionately

believed that each ci zen has the obliga on and privilege of

being an informed voter.

I N F O R M E D v O T E R g U I D E . C O M


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W W W . I N F O R M E D v O T E R g U I D E . C O M


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epar ng legislators push their way out

through the heavy doors and walk down the

marble steps. Passing a State Patrol o cer or two,

they nd their cars and begin the drive

back to their districts and homes.

The trip, at least for some legisla-

tors, is transforma onal.Within Olympias marble pillars,

they are in charge. Some of them

wield their power more like poten-

tates than public servants. They roll

o t the red carpet for the b rea -

cracy and most lobbyists while get-

ng to ci zen concerns last. Some

legislators sternly lect re or patron-

ize ci zens who ques on their pro -posals.

Commi ee Chairmen change agen -

das for p blic hearings at the last

minute and put cri cal votes in the fast lane, with

no me for the public or issue experts to study

bills or tes fy. Commi ees considerand pass

unwri en tle-only bills. In the House chamber,

members cast votes for missing colleagues.

But during the drive home at the end of the leg -

isla ve session, these legislators undergo a meta -

morphosis. Emerging into their districts and onto

the campaign trail, we see though ul, humble can -

didates who j st want to do what is right by thepeople. They want to represent s, to clean things

up, save taxpayer dollars and take a though u l and

inclusive approach.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote The Strange Case

of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , about a scien st who

creates his own endish alter ego. Though so

profound a double-dealer, Jekyll says in his nal

admission, I was in no sense a hypocrite; both

sides of me were in dead earnest.

Earnest or not, voters are red of vo ng for Dr.

Jekyll only to have Mr. Hyde show up in Olympia.

It is equally disconcer ng for legislators who do

not adopt Mr. Hydes persona to be cast as double-

dealers when they are, in fact, humble men and women who exercise great personal and policy dis-

cipline.

To provide a remedy, we created the Informed

Voter Project. It will roll out in several phases.

This is the rst installment, and you will note our

a empt to reveal the Mr. Hydes

who serve here in Olympia, at least

in terms of their budget votes. We

detail how legislators voted onseventeen key issues, how they

planned to spend taxpayer dollars,

and some good ideas they let fall

by the wayside.

Weve also included a list of

ques ons you should consider

asking every incumbent or chal -

lenger for elec ve o ce. Our hope

is that this g ide p ts the tools inyo r hands to hold yo r legislators

acco ntable for how they repre-

sent yo .

We will con nue to gather informa on to help

s know more abo t how o r legislators are rep-

resen ng us. Check our website at www.informed -

voterguide.com or our blog at libertylive.org for

pdates.

The Strange Caseof Doctor Jekyll and

Legislator Hyde

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Dealing with budget gaps was a major issue for legis-

lators this year. How did they do? Budget Analyst Bre

Davis describes the missed opportunity with speci cs

you can use in conversa on with your legislators.

ring the 11 th hour of the special 2010 legisla ve

session, lawmakers passed a s pplemental state

b dget, which members of the majority party claimed

was balanced in its approach to dealing with a $2.8 bil-lion de cit. They pointed to a combina on of spending

cuts, closed tax exemp ons and tax increases.

In reality, they increased overall spending and posi -

oned the state to be in worse shape for the next bien -

nium. To raise more revenue to pay for the spending,

the majority passed a $794 million tax-increase pack -

age, which amounts to nearly $2.5 billion over the three

years of its c rrent lifespan. The meas re raises a myr-

iad of taxes, including a temporary surcharge on service

businesses such as a orneys and real estate agents.

Consumers will pay higher taxes on tobacco products,

bo led water, candy, gum and mass-produced beer.

The beer, pop and water taxes are slated as temporary,

though the tax on bo led water will be extended if vot -

ers approve a ballot measure this November for about

$505 million in bond sales.

B dget Backgro ndand Balance Sheets

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General Fund StateBalance Sheet

Enacted 2000-11 B dgetincl ding 2010 S pplementalB dget

Total Revenue: 29.2B

Total Spending: 30.5B

(1.3B)

Net Policy Level Change: (1.1B)

This is the balance sheet for

the 2010 S pplemental Operat-ing B dget.


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Out of a $31 billion general fund, the nal $200

to $300 million of the tax-increase package turned

o t to be the biggest roadblock that kept Demo-

crats from nishing their budget work on me.

Senate leaders favored a state sales-tax increase,while the House and Governor Chris ne Gregoire

backed a menu of targeted tax hikes. The la er

plan passed, and it allows total state spending to

increase $3.3 billion over the next 14 months.

During the exceedingly quiet special session,

most onlookers believed that Sen. Majority Leader

Lisa Brown, Speaker of the House Frank Chopp and

Governor Gregoire were deba ng the poli cal and

nancial merits and demerits of a par cular taxincreases. Perhaps. At a minimum, it did provide

great cover for proponents of the income tax ini -

a ve to put together their plan. When they were

done, so was the special session.

For the most part, legislators who voted for the

b dget claim they c t spending, scr bbed waste

from the budget, and routed out ine ciencies.

Nonsense! They increased spending, ignored

waste and ine ciency, and swept money from

dedicated acco nts into the general f nd to s p-

port the increased spending, knowing f ll well they

will have to back ll those accounts.

B t theres no shortage of ways to balance the

state budget without raising taxes. Here are a few

examples we oated during the legisla ve session:

State workers could pay 20 percent of their

health insurance premiumss ll a good deal by

private sector standardsinstead of the current

12 percent, with taxpayers picking up the rest.

This would save $50 million over six months,

which translates into $200 million in savings

over the course of a biennium. Taxpayers could stop subsidizing the state liquor

monopoly with h ndreds of millions of dollars

and leave that to the private sector. The state

could sell its massive warehouse and equip -

ment, eliminate opera on costs of about $120

million a year and collect liquor taxes on top of

that.

The Department of Prin ng costs $10 million a

year. It could be closed down and its equipmentput up for sale. The states prin ng needs could

met by contrac ng with private businesses,

most of which can probably provide iden cal or

improved service at a lower price. In fact, allow -

ing private companies to make compe ve bids

on all rou ne government servicesthe Yel -

low Pages testis a ne idea that could save

money in many areas.

Other budget-balancing ideas include opening

up compe on to the private sector to bring

down rates and decrease liabili es in the work -

ers compensa on system; cu ng red tape and

bureaucracy via charter agencies to get things

done cost e ec vely; and con ngency-based

recovery audits that allow the state to collect

money its owed without cos ng taxpayers a

dime.

We have published several billion dollars worth

of savings opportuni es, but majority party lead -

ers have been unwilling to entertain them for

fear of upse ng their poli cal base. Legislators

wo ld not b ild a responsible b dget d ring boommes, and now they wont do it during a budget

crisis either. Witness the ref sal of state leaders

to reopen contracts with state workers d ring the

just-concluded legisla ve session, even though the

law allows renego a on if a signi cant revenue

shor all is declared by the governor or by resolu -

on of the Legislature.

Lawmakers will have to face priori zing and mak -

ing serious cuts again next year, when they have towrite a new two-year b dget. If Washington states

economic recovery is slow or at and the unem -

ployment rate remains high, it will be virtually

impossible for lawmakers to again plead poverty

and demand even more money from taxpayers in

2011.

Of co rse, legislators will be forced to face hard

facts if Ini a ve 1053 passes, since i t reinstates the

two-thirds threshold for the Legislat re to raisetaxes.

You can see more details about these and other

ideas for reducing state spending in our Top 10

Ideas to Balance the State Budget, available on

e wa.org.


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Growth of WA State Government SpendingThe Freedom Founda on created this chart using o cial state accoun ng data from scal.wa.gov


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Engrossed Subs tute Senate Bill 6130Suspend -

ing I-960

In a controversial precursor to hiking taxes, the

Legislature voted to temporarily (through July

1, 2011) suspend Ini a ve 960s two-thirds major -

ity requirement for raising taxes. The bill also sus -pended 1) I-960s advisory vote provisions for any

tax increases, 2) publica on of all tax increases

approved, and 3) which legislators voted for them.

In a small victory for taxpayers, the nal bill kept in

place the rule that the O ce of Financial Manage -

ment m st determine and p blish the 10-year cost

to the taxpayers of any bill raising taxes or fees.

Subs tute Senate Bill 6846New Taxes for

Emergency Services

This bill increases the limits for co nty and state

excise taxes by twenty and thirty-nine percent

respec vely to boost 911 emergency communi -

ca ons services. The taxes are charged per phone

line, wireless line and even VOIP line. Passage of

the bill demonstrates the legislatures con nued

unwillingness to fund core government func ons

Key Bills from the2010 Legisla veSession

For each of the Freedom Founda ons

major issue areas, we picked two or

three key bills that made it to at least

one oor vote (with one excep on) and

demonstrated a substan ve decisionabout whether to expand or contract

freedom. Many other bills are worthy

of discussion, but for sake of space we

concentrated on the list below. Exam-

ine them for yourself, and then check

out your legislators votes on page 11.

If you see inconsistencies in how your

legislators voted, or if you dont agree

with their decision, use these pages as

a tool to strike up a conversa on. The

Ques ons for Candidates on page

27 are useful for this as well.

Taxes and

Spending

like public safetyas a rst priority from the Gen -

eral Fund, rather than cut less important programs.

To avoid priori zing state spending, they passed

on the costs to taxpayers through another ad hoc

tax. The new rates take e ect on January 1, 2011.The O ce of Financial Management es mates the

enhanced 911 tax will cost an extra $79 million

over a 10-year period.

Engrossed House Bill 2561Hans Bonds

This bill places a referendum on the November

2010 ballot to sell $505 million in bonds above and

beyond the state debt limit to nance construc -

on projects at public facili es (mainly schools)

aimed at improved energy e ciency. A permanent

tax on bo led water would be imposed to pay for

the debt service costs of the bonds. While sponsor

Rep. Hans Dunshee calls EHB 2561 a jobs bill, it

would be more accurately pegged as a spend now,

pay later measure. The bill applies to the capital

b dget, meaning more can be spent now beca se

it isnt s bject to the balanced b dget r le. By the

me taxpayers are done paying o the $505 mil -

lion in 2040, they will have shelled out $928 mil -

lion. Because the legisla on calls for an increase in

the states level of bonded indebtedness above the

cons tu onal limit, a public vote is required.


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the poten al to drama cally a ect many small

b sinesses in Washington.

Federal law exempts businesses with gross

annual revenues under $1 million from being sub -

ject to unioniza on because it is extremely costlyand burdensome to small employers. SB 5046 uses

state law to regulate unioniza on in small busi -

nesses. While SB 5046 deals only with sympho -

nies, similar provisions could easily be extended to

other small b sinesses, increasing state reg latory

interference. And SB 5046 contains card check

provisions, which deny employees the security of

a secret ballot when elec ng a uniongiving free

rein for union strong-arm tac cs.

Senate Bill 6726 and House Bill 1329Expanding

the reach of public employee unions

Organized labor is trying to increase its power by

expanding mandatory union membership to pri -

vate employees who provide services to the state.

The rst example of this occurred in 2007 with Ini -

a ve 775, which made private providers of long

term healthcare services quasi-public employees

for the purposes of unioniza on and collec ve bar -

gaining with the state.

Organized labor has con nued to look for new

categories of private employees to bring under its

wing. One major focus this session was HB 1329,

which would extend collec ve bargaining to private

daycare workers and owners who receive state

Second Engrossed Subs tute Senate Bill 6143

The Big Tax Package

As part of its e orts to close a $2.8 billion budget

gap, the Legislature passed this $692.7 million tax-

increase package to be imposed in stages d ringMay, J ne and J ly of 2010. The meas re raises a

myriad of taxes, including a temporary surcharge

in the Business and Occupa on tax rate for service

businesses such as a orneys and real estate agents.

In addi on, a de facto convenience store tax means

consumers will pay higher taxes on bo led water,

soda pop, candy, g m and mass-prod ced beer.

The beer, pop and water taxes are slated as tem -

porary. (The bo led water tax would become per -

manent should voters approve selling $505 million

in bonds per EHB 2561.) The bill also a empts to

extend in-state Business and Occupa on taxes to

out-of-state businesses that do not have a physical

presence in Washington. Cons tu onal challenges

to the parts of the bill which discriminate against

o t-of-state b sinesses are li kely.

Engrossed Subs tute House Bill 2493Higher

Taxes for Cigare esStar ng in May, smokers can expect to pay another

$1 for a pack of cigare es. Beginning in July, the tax

on other tobacco prod cts will j mp from 75 per-

cent of the taxable sale price to 95 percent, with

the tax on cigars capped at 65 cents per smoke.

Legislators believe ESHB 2493 will raise more than

$100 million over the next two years. (They depend

on this revenue source, even while they argue that

people should stop smoking.) A likely result will bethat people will b y more of their tobacco prod-

cts in states like Oregon and Idaho, where the

taxes are lower.

Senate Bill 5046Crea ng a new type of labor

law

This new law grants collec ve bargaining rights to

symphony m sicians belonging to orchestras mak-

ing gross annual revenues of more than $300,000,

crea ng a new type of state labor law which has

Worker Freedom


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s bsidies for the low-income children in their care.

The bargaining terms, however, would be limited

to state subsidies and professional development

essen ally requiring private daycare owners to pay

d es to the nion for help with lobbying and train-ing, with li le evidence that such help is needed

or wanted.

HB 1329 passed the House but failed to come to

a vote in the Senate. But SB 6726, which extended

collec ve bargaining rights to private interpreters

who provide services to the Department of Social

and Health Services, sailed through the legislature

with li le a en on. Interpreters hired by our DSHS

have to become a dues-paying union member rst.This expands the size of state government and allows

viola ons of a workers freedom of associa on.

Engrossed House Bill 2776 New Educa on

Funding Formulas

This bill is the culmina on of last years ESHB 2261

that revised the states de ni on of a basic edu -

ca on. EHB 2776 establishes new funding formu -

las for average class size, sta , administra on and

more. It con nues the phase-in of full-day kinder -

garten and pledges to do ble the per-p pil mainte-

nance, supplies, and opera ng cost (MSOC) alloca -

ons by 2015-16. The scal note es mates a cost

of $3,911,274,375 from the State Gen -eral Fund over the next ve years.

Rather than addressing the

mul -layered bureau -

cracy and special inter-

ests that siphon money

from public educa on, leg -

islators on both sides of the

aisle are increasing f nding.

House Bill 2867 Expanding the

States Role in Early Childhood Devel -

opment

This drama c expansion of the states role

in childrearing was introduced at Governor Gre -

goires request. It gives the Department of Early

Learning the responsibilit y to develop, coordinate,

and implement services and programs for children

from birth to age three, saying, A successful out -

come for every child obtaining a K-12 educa on

depends on children being prepared from birth.

The Department will present its recommenda ons

on December 1, 2010. Meanwhile, the 13 years of

public educa on currently provided will con nue

to stagnate or decline. Besides, is it the role of gov -

ernment to prepare children for life from birth to

age three?

House Bill 2731New Preschool Program

This bill creates a voluntary preschool program for

educa onally at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds with the

intent to create a statewide preschool en tlement

program by the 2018-19 school years. Seldom-publicized data from years of costly state-funded

preschool programs (like the federal governments

Head Start program) show li le to no bene t.

Over the next ve years Washingtons pro -

gram is predicted to cost $57,709,163. We

know young children either bene t or

su er from what happens in their rst

three years of life. Many children

need help. But government pro -grams have not worked because

this important task is not one of its

core competencies or func ons.

Engrossed Second Subs tute Senate Bill 6696

Race to the Top

ESSSB 6696 was Washingtons a empt to be eligible

for President Obamas Race to the Top compe -

ve grant. It a ects school accountability, teacher

and principal evalua on, innova on, teacher prep -

ara on and more. While the bill makes noises in the

right direc on, par cularly with school account -

ability procedures and teacher evalua on, there

are signi cant problems. It strictly prohibits char -

ter schools and requires that the teacher union sign

o on teacher evalua on components.

Educa ng the NextGenera on


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cri cal area ordinances required by the Growth

Management Act from encroaching on the areas

reg lated by the Shoreline Management Act. The

changes passed by EHB 1653 will now allow Cri cal

Growth Areas (and the accompanying regula ons)to cover shoreline areas.

Property development within shoreline areas

has already been heavily regulated. Now those

property owners will have to wrestle with cri -

cal area ordinances as well. Even though this bill

has some notable gains for property rights, its net

e ect is more burdensome regula on within the

shoreline areas.

House Bill 1572Requiring Vote-by-Mail in All

Coun es

Despite the rush to vo ng-by-mail, Washingtons

39 coun es so far retain a choice between poll -

ing places and the post o ce. Pierce County is the

last toehold for precinct polling places. HB 1572

was a hammer aimed at Pierce Co ntys electoral

toe. It forces postal vo ng on the en re state

and removes any choice for local government.

Senate Bill 6214 Restructuring the Growth

Management Hearing Boards

This bill restr ct res three growth management

hearings boards into one board. Prior to its passage,

growth management grievances were heard by

three regional Growth Management Boards com-prised of three members each. The regional str c-

turing was created to ensure sensi vity to each of

our diverse Washington regions and easy access to

ci zens in those regions. SB 6214 will consolidate

the three boards into one seven-member board.

The board restructuring creates a centralized,

top-down approach for a controversial program

already famo s for diminishing peoples property

values and rights. This further hobbles local plan -

ning goals and regional needs.

Engrossed House Bill 1653Clarifying Shoreline

and Growth Management Acts

This bill clari es the rela onship between the

Shoreline Management Act and the Growth Man-

agement Act. Local property rights groups have

fought lengthy and expensive legal ba les to keep

HB 1572 passed the House, but never reached the

Senate oor.

Senate Bill 6449 & House Bill 2614Increasing

Requirements on Signature Gatherers

Two bills would have made it more di cult to col -

lect signatures for ini a ve, referendum, and recall

pe ons. SB 6449 required a new license for paid

signature gatherers and rejected otherwise valid

signat res if the signat re gatherer failed to com-

ply. It passed the Senate. HB 2614 would require

all signature gatherers to sign an oath and provide

addi onal informa on. The bill did not reach the

House oor. (Therefore, vo ng records for this bill

on the following pages denote commi ee votes

only.)

Integrity in Vo ngand Ini a ves

Protec ng PrivateProperty Rights


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HOW T H E Y V O T E DThe chart below details how legislators voted on the bills described

in the previous sec on. It counts only oor votes on nal versions of

the bills, except for one bill, HB 2614, in which we noted commi ee

votes. Look up your representa ves by district and examine their vot-

ing record for yourself. Note inconsistencies within an issue (such as

vo ng against taxes but for higher spending), and ask your legislator

about it. Weve also noted who the sponsors are for each of these

key bills, indica ng legislators who felt strongly enough about sup-

por ng a bill to actually put their name on it.

All votes represent oor votes on the nal ver -

sion of the bill, except for HB 2614, for which

weve recorded only commi ee votes.

signi es a bill sponsor Senators shaded gray represent thoseup for reelec on this fall. All Housemembers are up for reelec on this fall.

Nothing in this publica on should be co nstrued as an a empt to aid or hinder the passage of any legisla on or ballot measure.


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Ho se of Representa ves Budget/Taxes Labor Educa on Property

Elec ons/Ini a ves

Last First Party Dist.SB

6130SB

6846HB

2561SB

6143HB

2493SB

5046SB

6726HB

1329HB

2776HB

2867HB

2731SB

6696SB

6214HB

1653HB

1572SB

6449HB

2614

Alexander Gary R 20 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Anderson Glenn R 5 NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES NO YES YES NO NO

Angel Jan R 26 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES NO NO YES NO NO NO

Appleton Sherry D 23 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Armstrong Mike R 12 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO

Bailey Barbara R 10 NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Blake Brian D 19 YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES

Campbell Tom R 2 NO NO NO NO NO YES YES NO NO NO YES YES NO NO NO

Carlyle Reuven D 36 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Chandler Br ce R 15 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Chase Maralyn D 32 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Chopp Frank D 43 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Clibborn J dy D 41 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Cody Eileen D 34 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Condo a Cary R 12 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO N/A N/A N/A N/A NO NO NO

Conway Steve D 29 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO

Crouse Larry R 4 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Dammeier Br ce R 25 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES NO NO

12

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HOW T H E Y V O T E D

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Elec ons/Ini a ves


6130SB

6846HB

2561SB

6143HB

2493SB

5046SB

6726HB

1329HB

2776HB

2867HB

2731SB

6696SB

6214HB

1653HB

1572SB

6449HB

2614

Darneille Jeannie D 27 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

DeBolt Richard R 20 NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Dickerson Mary Lo D 36 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Driscoll John D 6 NO NO NO NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO

Dunshee Hans D 44 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Eddy Deborah D 48 NO YES YES YES YES YES NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Ericks Mark D 1 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Ericksen Do g R 42 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Fagan S san R 9 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Finn Fred D 35 NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Flannigan Dennis D 27 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Goodman Roger D 45 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

green Tami D 28 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES

Haigh Kathy D 35 YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Haler Larry R 8 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES YES YES NO NO NO

Hasegawa Bob D 11 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Herrera Jamie R 18 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES NO NO NO NO YES NO NO

Hinkle Bill R 13 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES YES NO


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Elec ons/Ini a ves


6130SB

6846HB

2561SB

6143HB

2493SB

5046SB

6726HB

1329HB

2776HB

2867HB

2731SB

6696SB

6214HB

1653HB

1572SB

6449HB

2614

Hope Mike R 44 NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES YES YES NO NO NO

Hudgins Zack D 11 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Hunt Sam D 22 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Hunter Ross D 48 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Hurst Christopher D 31 NO YES YES NO NO N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES

Jacks Jim D 49 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Johnson Norm R 14 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES NO NO NO NO NO

Kagi R th D 32 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Kelley Troy D 28 NO YES YES NO NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO NO

Kenney Phyllis D 46 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Kessler Lynn D 24 YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Kirby Steve D 29 YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO

Klippert Brad R 8 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Kretz Joel R 7 NO NO N/A NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Kris ansen Dan R 39 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Liias Marko D 21 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Linville Kelli D 42 YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Maxwell Marcie D 41 YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

14



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Elec ons/Ini a ves

Last First Party Dist. SB6130

SB6846

HB2561

SB6143

HB2493

SB5046

SB6726

HB1329

HB2776

HB2867

HB2731

SB6696

SB6214

HB1653

HB1572

SB6449

HB2614

McCoy John D 38 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

McCune Jim R 2 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES NO NO NO NO

Miloscia Mark D 30 NO YES NO NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES

Moeller Jim D 49 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Morrell Dawn D 25 NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Morris Je D 40 YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YESNealey Terry R 16 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Nelson Sharon D 34 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

OBrien Al D 1 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Orcu Ed R 18 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES NO YES NO NO

Ormsby Timm D 3 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Orwall Tina D 33 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Parker Kevin R 6 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO

Pearson Kirk R 39 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Pedersen Jamie D 43 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Pe grew Eric D 37 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Priest Skip R 30 NO YES NO NO NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO

Probst Tim D 17 NO NO YES NO NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES

15


16/32

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Elec ons/Ini a ves


6130SB

6846HB

2561SB

6143HB

2493SB

5046SB

6726HB

1329HB

2776HB

2867HB

2731SB

6696SB

6214EHB1653

HB1572

SB6449

HB2614

Quall Dave D 40 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Roach Dan R 31 NO NO NO NO NO NO YES NO NO NO NO YES NO NO NO

Roberts Mary Helen D 21 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Rodne Jay R 5 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES NO YES YES N/A NO

Rolfes Chris ne D 23 YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Ross Charles R 14 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Santos SharonTomiko

D 37 YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Schmick Joe R 9 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Seaquist Larry D 26 NO YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Sells Mike D 38 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Shea Ma R 4 NO NO NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Short Shelly R 7 NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Simpson Geo D 47 YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Smith Norma R 10 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES NO NO NO NO NO

Springer Larry D 45 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Sullivan Pat D 47 YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

16



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17


Elec ons/Ini a ves


6130SB

6846HB

2561SB

6143HB

2493SB

5046SB

6726HB

1329HB

2776HB

2867HB

2731SB

6696SB

6214EB

1653HB

1572SB

6449HB

2614

Takko Dean D 19 YES YES YES YES YES YES NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Taylor David R 15 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Upthegrove Dave D 33 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Van De Wege Kevin D 24 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Wallace Debbie D 17 NO YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES

Walsh Ma reen R 16 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES YES NO N/A NO NO

Warnick J dy R 13 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES YES NO NO

White Sco D 46 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Williams Brendan D 22 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Wood Alex D 3 YES N/A YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

All votes represent oor votes on the nal ver -

sion of the bill, except for HB 2614, for which

weve recorded only commi ee votes.

signi es a bill sponsor Senators shaded gray represent thoseup for reelec on this fall. All Housemembers are up for reelec on this fall.


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Senate Budget/Taxes Labor Educa on Property Elec ons/Ini a ves


6130SB

6846HB

2561SB

6143HB

2493SB

5046SB

6726HB

1329HB

2776HB

2867HB

2731SB

6696SB

6214HB

1653HB

1572SB

6449HB

2614

Becker Randi R 2 NO YES NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES NO NO

Benton Don R 17 NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES NO YES NO

Berkey Jean D 38 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Brandland Dale R 42 NO YES NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES YES YES YES NO NO

Brown Lisa D 3 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Carrell Mike R 28 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO NO NO YES YES NO NODelvin Jerome R 8 NO N/A N/A N/A N/A NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES NO NO

Eide Tracey D 30 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Fairley Darlene D 32 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES

Franklin Rosa D 29 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Fraser Karen D 22 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

gordon Randy D 41 YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Hargrove James D 24 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES

Ha ield Brian D 19 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES NO

Haugen Mary Mar-garet

D 10 YES YES NO YES YES NO NO N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Hewi Mike R 16 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES YES NO

18



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19



6130SB

6846HB

2561SB

6143HB

2493SB

5046SB

6726HB

1329HB

2776HB

2867HB

2731SB

6696SB

6214HB

1653HB

1572SB

6449HB

2614

Hobbs Steve D 44 NO YES YES NO YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Holmquist Jana R 13 NO NO NO NO N/A NO NO N/A NO N/A YES YES YES NO NO

Honeyford Jim R 15 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES NO YES NO

Jacobsen Ken D 46 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Kastama Jim D 25 YES YES YES YES YES YES NO N/A NO YES YES NO YES YES YES

Kau man Cla dia D 47 NO YES YES NO YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YESKeiser Karen D 33 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Kilmer Derek D 26 NO NO YES NO YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

King Cur s R 14 NO NO NO NO NO YES NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES YES NO

Kline Adam D 37 YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Kohl-Welles Jeanne D 36 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Marr Chris D 6 NO NO YES NO YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

McAuli e Rosemary D 1 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

McCaslin Bob R 4 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A YES N/A N/A

McDermo Joe D 34 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Morton Bob R 7 NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES NO NO

Murray Ed D 43 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Oemig Eric D 45 YES NO YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES


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6130SB

6846HB

2561SB

6143HB

2493SB

5046SB

6726HB

1329HB

2776HB

2867HB

2731SB

6696SB

6214HB

1653HB

1572SB

6449HB

2614

Parle e Linda R 12 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES YES NO

P ug Cheryl R 5 N/A NO NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES N/A NO

Pren ce Margarita D 11 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES

Pridemore Craig D 49 YES N/A YES YES NO N/A YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Ranker Kevin D 40 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Regala Debbie D 27 YES YES YES YES YES YES NO N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YESRoach Pam R 31 NO YES NO NO NO NO YES N/A N/A YES NO N/A NO NO NO NO

Rockefeller Phil D 23 YES YES YES YES YES YES YES N/A YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES

Schoesler Mark R 9 NO NO NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES YES NO

Sheldon Tim D 35 NO YES NO NO NO YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES NO NO

Shin Pa ll D 21 YES YES YES YES NO YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Stevens Val R 39 NO NO N/A N/A N/A NO NO N/A NO NO NO YES YES NO NO

Swecker Dan R 20 NO YES NO NO NO YES NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES YES NO

Tom Rodney D 48 YES YES NO NO YES YES YES N/A YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Zarelli Joseph R 18 NO N/A NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO YES NO YES YES NO NO

20



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#1: Rep. Maralyn Chase (D-32)

$39 BILLION#2: Rep. Bob Hasegawa (D-11)

$35.6 BILLION#3: Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-36)

$26 BILLION#4: Sen. Joe McDermo (D-34)

$ 4 5 .7 B I LLI O N

$25.5 BILLION#5: Rep. Sam Hunt (D-22)

$24.1 BILLION#6: Sen. Rosa Franklin (D-29)

$21.6 BILLION#7: Rep. Brendan Williams (D-22)

$18.6 BILLION#8: Rep. Eric Pe grew (D-37)

$17.6 BILLION#9: Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48)

$17.4 BILLION#10: Rep. Steve Conway (D-29)

HEY! BIG SPENDERHOW MuCH DID YOuR LEGISLATOR

COST YOu?

In the third annual Hey! Big Spender

report, we used ten-year projec ons

compiled by the state O ce of Financial

Management to determine which legisla-

tors wanted to take the most from your wallet

over the next decade. We added up proposed

ten-year tax and fee increases for each legisla-

tor, using the list of bills they sponsored. Here

are the infamous top ten. The full list is also

included on the following pages.


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LegislatorTotal Tax & Fee

IncreaseRank

Last First Party Title

Chase Maralyn D Rep $45,749,765,624 1

Hasegawa Bob D Rep $39,075,456,854 2

Kohl-Welles Jeanne D Sen $35,620,901,197 3

McDermo Joe D Sen $26,045,637,100 4

H nt Sam D Rep $25,566,962,835 5

Franklin Rosa D Sen $24,165,443,041 6

Williams Brendan D Rep $21,605,339,530 7

Pe grew Eric D Rep $18,602,905,000 8

H nter Ross D Rep $17,612,159,000 9

Conway Steve D Rep $17,365,915,421 10

Appleton Sherry D Rep $15,233,910,597 11

Nelson Sharon D Rep $14,791,881,280 12

Ericks Mark D Rep $13,487,118,100 13

Cody Eileen D Rep $13,468,810,000 14

Kline Adam D Sen $12,985,982,980 15

Ormsby Timm D Rep $12,876,126,988 16

Darneille Jeannie D Rep $12,820,429,310 17

Kenney Phyllis D Rep $12,260,804,280 18

Keiser Karen D Sen $11,193,318,477 19

Pren ce Margarita D Sen $10,737,122,234 20

Dickerson Mary Lo D Rep $10,386,039,110 21

Fraser Karen D Sen $10,354,119,353 22

Moeller Jim D Rep $10,322,737,672 23

Roberts Mary Helen D Rep $9,946,527,880 24Fairley Darlene D Sen $9,752,644,327 25

Pedersen Jamie D Rep $9,104,624,300 26

White Sco D Rep $8,959,887,179 27

Regala Debbie D Sen $8,285,156,455 28

M rray Ed D Sen $8,231,722,450 29

Oemig Eric D Sen $8,177,256,118 30

Jacobsen Ken D Sen $8,162,646,749 31

Ranker Kevin D Sen $7,708,918,077 32

Upthegrove Dave D Rep $7,707,002,315 33

Flannigan Dennis D Rep $7,268,829,450 34

Eddy Deborah D Rep $6,455,118,000 35

Sells Mike D Rep $6,410,662,267 36

Clibborn J dy D Rep $6,209,633,000 37

Q all Dave D Rep $5,803,005,780 38

Carlyle Reuven D Rep $5,708,894,649 39

Springer Larry D Rep $5,704,094,000 40

Tom Rodney D Sen $3,840,599,496 41

Kastama Jim D Sen $2,241,074,631 42

Goodman Roger D Rep $2,179,989,880 43

Rockefeller Phil D Sen $2,027,427,380 44

Simpson Geo D Rep $1,966,299,505 45

Kagi R th D Rep $1,707,208,900 46

Orwall Tina D Rep $1,485,377,800 47

McCoy John D Rep $1,286,171,200 48

[ ]B I L L I O N A I R E C L U B

HEY! BIGSPENDER: HOW MuCH DID YOuR LEGISLATOR COST YOu?


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*Schoesler Mark R Sen $487,407,792 68

Honeyford Jim R Sen $420,284,474 69

*King Cur s R Sen $372,822,898 70

*Delvin Jerome R Sen $371,686,790 71

Wood Alex D Rep $364,921,094 72Kirby Steve D Rep $361,500,325 73

Sullivan Pat D Rep $360,086,367 74

*P ug Cheryl R Sen $302,277,824 75

*Hewi Mike R Sen $302,087,824 76

*Stevens Val R Sen $300,217,824 77

*Zarelli Joseph R Sen $300,217,824 77

Becker Randi R Sen $300,217,824 77

Carrell Mike R Sen $300,217,824 77

Morris Je D Rep $298,838,368 81

Van De Wege Kevin D Rep $291,049,400 82

Ha ield Brian D Sen $259,663,368 83

Jacks Jim D Rep $247,798,074 84

Kessler Lynn D Rep $245,303,840 85

Armstrong Mike R Rep $223,818,070 86

Walsh Ma reen R Rep $213,252,840 87

Hinkle Bill R Rep $194,073,750 88

Kretz Joel R Rep $194,073,750 88

Miloscia Mark D Rep $180,779,100 90

Ha gen Mary Mar-garet

D Sen $174,325,231 91

Finn Fred D Rep $158,049,367 92

Takko Dean D Rep $138,486,840 93

Marr Chris D Sen $132,286,353 94

Sheldon Tim D Sen $115,907,228 95

McCaslin Bob R Sen $115,294,128 96

Hargrove James D Sen $1,167,904,085 49

Shin Pa ll D Sen $1,164,086,231 50

Maxwell Marcie D Rep $1,090,696,900 51

LegislatorTotal Tax & Fee

IncreaseRank

Last First Party Title

Brown Lisa D Sen $985,282,000 52

Gordon Randy D Sen $977,436,777 53

*Parle e Linda R Sen $969,582,824 54

Rolfes Chris ne D Rep $888,488,168 55

Liias Marko D Rep $868,031,107 56

Pridemore Craig D Sen $859,771,032 57

Kau man Cla dia D Sen $853,610,665 58

McAuli e Rosemary D Sen $853,444,000 59

Green Tami D Rep $849,137,914 60

Eide Tracey D Sen $847,265,000 61

Berkey Jean D Sen $845,368,825 62

Seaquist Larry D Rep $823,963,000 63

Santos SharonTomiko

D Rep $769,425,100 64

D nshee Hans D Rep $740,677,892 65

H dgins Zack D Rep $738,553,965 66

Swecker Dan R Sen $619,853,063 67

[ ]M I L L I O N A I R E C L U B



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24

Hobbs Steve D Sen $114,432,228 97

O'Brien Al D Rep $114,432,213 98

Chandler Br ce R Rep $114,065,474 99

Bailey Barbara R Rep $111,678,500 100

Wallace Debbie D Rep $111,329,000 101

Johnson Norm R Rep $109,420,750 102

Ericksen Do g R Rep $109,417,000 103

Ross Charles R Rep $109,417,000 103

Morrell Dawn D Rep $84,755,788 105

Cox Don R Rep $83,403,000 106

Brandland Dale R Sen $78,791,000 107

Linville Kelli D Rep $73,465,100 108

Blake Brian D Rep $9,142,078 109

Campbell Tom R Rep $4,945,607 110

Condo a Cary R Rep $2,996,300 111

Smith Norma R Rep $2,241,000 112

Orcu Ed R Rep $2,225,850 113

Driscoll John D Rep $1,797,200 114

Warnick J dy R Rep $1,694,000 115

Schmick Joe R Rep $1,654,840 116

H rst Christopher D Rep $1,612,050 117

Cro se Larry R Rep $1,413,074 118

Benton Don R Sen $940,516 119

Haigh Kathy D Rep $861,900 120

Kris ansen Dan R Rep $861,900 120

Morton Bob R Sen $861,900 120

Roach Pam R Sen $861,900 120

Kilmer Derek D Sen $276,966 124

Kelley Troy D Rep $25,650 125

Taylor David R Rep $3,750 126

Shea Ma R Rep $3,750 126

McC ne Jim R Rep $0

Alexander Gary R Rep $0

Anderson Glenn R Rep $0

Angel Jan R Rep $0

Chopp Frank D Rep $0

Dammeier Br ce R Rep $0

DeBolt Richard R Rep $0

Grant Bill D Rep $0

Haler Larry R Rep $0

Herrera Jamie R Rep $0

Hope Mike R Rep $0

Klippert Brad R Rep $0

Parker Kevin R Rep $0

Pearson Kirk R Rep $0

Priest Skip R Rep $0

Probst Tim D Rep $0

Roach Dan R Rep $0

Rodne Jay R Rep $0

Short Shelly R Rep $0

Holmquist Jana R Sen $0


*This legislator sponsored SB 6858, which increases state property taxes by $7,610,900,000

over ten years. This was not included in the legislators spending total because the state

tax increases in SB 6858 are clearly o set by local tax decreases. The O ce of Fi nancial

Management only calculates the impact on state taxpayers and does not take into account

any o se ng reduc ons to taxpayers at the local level. A few other bill s included in the Bi g

Spender list may also have par ally or ful ly o se ng reduc ons in local taxes.


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Trent England, the Freedom Founda ons Direc-

tor of Cons tu onal Studies, details a series of

bills that, in our opinion, should have had at least

a hearing by legislators. Use this as a tool to deter-

mine whether your legislators have the courage to

champion a poli cally unpopular idea, and whether

they are pushing forward good ideas, not just build-

ing defenses against bad ones.

he place where good ideas go to die, might

be a cynics descrip on of the Washington

State Legislature. Yet like the Phoenix of ancient

myth, every bill can rise from the ashes at the

beginning of a new legisla ve session.

Below are some of the best billsand their spon -

sorsfrom 2010. None became law this session.

Many were simply denied a hearing. B t theres

always next year.

Just a li le budget sunshine. Its a classic trick:

release the b dget bills at the last possible moment

and then demand an almost immediate vote. It

shuts out ci zens, reporters, and even most leg -

islators from meaningful par cipa on in the most

important legisla ve process. HB 2872 would have

required a 72-hour wai ng period a er a budget

bill was complete before either legisla ve chamber

could vote on the bill. It was sponsored by Repre -

senta ve Gary Alexander (R-20) , where Chairman

Kelli Linville (D-42) refused to allow a vote on this

meas re of common sense.

Fix Workers Comp. Senator Jana Holmquist

(R-13) introd ced SB 6638 to help red ce the b r-

den to businesses and government of our waste -

ful workers compensa on system. The bill would

allow voluntary se lements between injured work -

ers and employers and create medical provider

networks that specialized in trea ng injured work -

ers. It also would have ghtened the de ni on of

occupa onal disease to prevent fraud and abuse.

Representa ve Je Morris (D-40) introd ced the

House version, HB 2950. Chairman Jeanne Kohl-

Welles (D-36) in the Senate and Chairman Steve

Conway (D-29) in the House refused to give these

bills a hearing.

End the states liquor business. Why does state

government run a network of monopoly liquor

stores? Senator Tim Sheldon (D-35) sponsored SB

6204 to get the state out of the booze business.

A companion Ho se bill, HB 2845 was sponsored

by Representa ve Gary Alexander (R-20) . unfor-

tunately, a Senate commi ee changed Sheldons

bill into an uninspiring call for an expensive gov -

ernment st dy. Alexanders bill was never given a

hearing by Commi ee Chair Steve Conway .

Sunshine for government labor nego a ons. Mas-

sive state labor contracts are nego ated behind

closed doors. Unions condi on poli cal contribu -

ons on candidates pledges to vote for whatever

contract emerges. Representa ve Bruce Chandler

(R-15) introd ced HB 1471 to open p these nego-

a ons to public scru ny. And what happens when

you propose to expose the most powerful union

bosses and the leaders of the party in power? Com-

mi ee Chairman Sam Hunt (D-22) refused even to

allow a public hearing on the bill.

Repeal Na onal Popular Vote. Last year, against

bi-par san opposi on, the legislature joined Wash -

ington with fo r other states in an interstate com-

pact to side step the Electoral College, enhance

the power of big ci es, and ensure li ga on over

future presiden al elec ons. Representa ve Ma

Shea (R-4) , with eleven cosponsors, introduced HB

2715 to repeal Washingtons entry into the com-

pact and instead allocate most of the states elec-

toral votes by congressional district. Chairman Sam

Hunt denied this bill a hearing.

Only the Good BillsDie Yo ng

Yet like the Phoenix of ancient myth, every bill can rise from theashes at the beginning of a new legisla ve session.T


26/32

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26

nal vote. Each commi ee provides a public hear -

ing and then a second hearing just for commi ee

members to discuss and vote on whether to allow

the bill to move ahead. But what about holding

hearings on a bill before the bill is actually wri en?

As abs rd as it so nds, this session has feat red

a n mber of hearings on ghost bills (legislators call

them tle-only bills). Holding a public hearing on

a ghost bill is like legislators holding a p blic hear-

ing, but making ci zens wear blindfolds and ear -

plugs. It deprives ci zens of any meaningful way

to provide input on legisla on. And yet somehow

lobbyists show p knowing at least some details

abo t the bills.

Impossibly Short No ce. Related to theghost bill problem are hearings held with li le or

no no ce. Commi ee chairs feel free to change

Trent England describes how legisla ve leaders

avoided their own rules this past session in order

to hide their strategy for dealing with the budget

de cit from their cons tuents. Use this info and the

related ques ons for candidates to make sure

your representa ves or poten al representa ves

know that its okay to disagree on the issues, but

its not okay to violate the processes that make our

republic work.

isagreements over policies are what poli -

cal processes are all abo t. There is nothing

wrong with con ictas long as both sides follow

the rules. In fact, con ict is where the rules ma er

most. They keep things from ge ng out of hand

and allow both sides to accept the end res lt.

The Washington State Legislat re has r les

intended to ensure open considera on and rea -

sonable delibera on about proposed laws. Unfor -

tunately, legisla ve leaders have become content

to manip late and ignore some of these r les.

Ghost Bills. As TVW-watchers know, proposedlegisla on makes pit stops in various commi ees

before it reaches the House or Senate oor for a

Lawless Lawmakers:R les bent andbroken in Olympia

agendas on a whim and they o en do, leaving cit -

izens unable to make their voices heard. In some

cases, ghost bills were introd ced and then r shed

to hearings with li le no ce. For some of the big -

gest tax bills, public hearings were even waived

all together. Some legislators seem to think that

both they and their bills are j st too important to

follow the r les.

Emergency Clause Abuse. Even a era bill is passed by both ho ses and signed by the

governor, the State Cons tu on provides a wai ng

period before it takes e ect. During that me, a ci -

zen can le a referendum in order to put the law on

the ballot. The one excep on to the wai ng period

and ci zen referendum is for legisla on that is nec -

essary for the immediate preserva on of the public

peace, health, or safety, or support of the state gov -

ernment and its exis ng public ins tu ons.

Obviously, the Emergency Clause excep on

was mean for real emergenciesvolcanoes, earth -

quakes, and the like. Yet this legislature passed and

Governor Gregoire signed 24 bills this year contain -

ing Emergency Cla ses, incl ding the temporary

repeal of Ini a ve 960. Last year, 66 Emergency

bills became law. Ab se of the Emergency Cla se

is just one more example of how out of touch leg -

islators are with regular ci zens who expect more

than a wink and a nod at cons tu onal processes

that protect ci zens rights.

D

The Washington StateLegislat re has r lesintended to ens re

open considera on and

reasonable delibera onabout proposed laws.


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Senate Bill 6143: the problem in a n tshell.Senator Margarita Pren ce introduced SB 6143 as

a blank sheet of paper with just a tlea ghost b ill.

The bill was referred to the Senate Ways & Means

Commi ee, chaired by none other than Senator

Pren ce herself. The contents of the bill$890 mil -

lion in tax increaseswere lled in just in me for

an almost nanno nced hearing on March 5. The

commi ee voted it out on March 6. The next day it

was brought to the Senate oor and passed, 25-23.

The House waived all hearings on the bill, brought

it to the oor on March 7, and passed an amended

version of the bill on March 8. And it includes an

Emergency Clause. Senator Pren ce has been in

the legislat re since 1988.

It is o en hard to determine a candidates

character and principles, and well be listen-

ing to a lot of them between now and the elec-

on this fall. But how can we discern a candi-

dates likely vote on par cular issues should

he or she be elected?

Think about ge ng answers to the following

ques ons as a star ng place. They are wri en

for state legisla ve candidates, but many of

them can be modi ed for people running for

other o ces. Be alert for the non-answer

answer, which is di erent from an answer you

might not agree with or an honest I dont

know, with a commitment from a candidate

to nd out.

Legisla ve Transparency andAccountabilityDo yo s pport the following policies to pro-

vide greater transparency and accountability

in the legisla ve process?

Require a wai ng period of at least sev -

eral days a er a bill is introduced before

it could be considered at a hearing; and a

one-day wai ng period a er a bill is con -

sidered in a public hearing before a commi ee

may vote on the bill.

Prohibit the introduction of title only

(ghost) bills.

Make cas ng a vote for another legislator an

ethics viola on.

Require a supermajority vote on bills with an

emergency clause a ached.

Spending & Taxes Do you support priori zing government spend -

ing beginning with its stated key du es?

Would you vote to spend no more than 98

percent of revenue projec ons and save 2

percent?

Would you support reinsta ng the aim of Ini a -

ve 960 that two-thirds of the legislature must

approve tax increases and that the public must

be no ed of proposed increases in advance?

Would you commit to adop ng the recommen -

da ons of performance audits unless your pub -

licly available analysis indicated the recommen -

da ons would not be prudent?

Worker Freedom More than 50 percent of all state employees are

unionized right now. Is this a good idea?

Will you support the right of workers to have a

secret ballot about whether or not to unionize?

These rule-breaking habits wont stop

un l legislators are held accountable

for their ac ons. Inform yourself about

these problems, and make them a

topic of conversa on with your repre -

senta ves. Several related ques ons

are included on the following pages to

help you start the discussion.

Ques ons forCandidates


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Should collec ve bargaining sessions between

the government and government worker unions

be p blic?

Would you support renego a ng state employee

contracts in the event of a scal emergency,

such as the state is experiencing now?

Wo ld yo s pport changing the model for state

employee bene t programs from a state-man -

aged pension to employee-directed (de ned

contribu on) plans?

Protec ng Private Property Are you sa s ed with the Growth Management

Act and its implementa on, including its goals

of protec ng job crea on, economic growth,

and private property rights equally with protec -

on of the environment?

Do you support a ban on public en es using

eminent domain to take private property for

economic development?

Educa ng the Next Genera on How m ch money does the state c rrently allo-

cate for each student in our public educa on

system, and is that eno gh? If not, how m ch

is enough? (Current alloca on in 2010 is $9,267

per student; more than $12,000 when capital

costs are included.)

What is the most important o tcome a school

can deliver to its students, and how will you

know if we are ge ng it?

In yo r opinion, what is the most important

controllable ingredient in a quality educa on?

Do you support o ering a menu of educa onal

op ons within the public school system and let -

ng parents choose which program best meets

the needs of their children?

What is the proper role of the teachers nion in

K-12 educa on?

Elec on Integrity Do yo s pport the repeal of Washingtons

entry into the Na onal Popular Vote interstate

compact, which would give Washingtons elec -

toral votes to the winner of the na onal popu -

lar vote and ignore the wil l of Washingtons own

voters?

Do you support enac ng measures that would

strengthen the eligibility screening proced res

for voter registra on? (to prevent felons, 16-year-

olds, non-ci zens, dogs, etc. from vo ng)

Do you believe Washington should force coun -

es to vote by mail, or should coun es con nue

to have the choice of vo ng at precinct polling

places?

Health Care Do you think the federal government ought to

design and administer health care ins rance?

How will the new health care legisla on a ect

Washington state?

As an elected o cial, what policies would you

advocate as a result of the new federal law?

The Role of Government Governmentits agencies and its regula ons

a ects virtually every aspect of our lives. What

do you consider to be the proper role of gov -

ernment? Name at least one thing that govern -

ment is currently doing that you believe is not its

role, and explain why. Name at least one thing

that government is currently not doing that yo

believe is its role, and explain why.

Do you support aban on public en essing eminent domain

to take privateproperty for economic

development?


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WWW.EFFWA.ORG

Who We Areome people call us a think tank; others a do tank. The

IRS labels us as a non-pro t educa onal research organiza -

on. We have been all those things for the past 19 years, from our

humble beginning of 341 members to more than 5,000 today.

What sets us apart at the Freedom Founda on is our determi -

na on to make rigorous, non-par san research accessible to

voters, not just poli cians. We envision a day when opportu -

nity, responsible self-governance, and free markets ourish

in Washington state because its ci zens understand and

cherish the principles from which freedom is derived.

Our primary research areas are budget, taxes, educa on,labor, elec ons, property rights, and ci zenship. We pub -

lish, teach, speak, tes fy, and occasionally li gate when public

informa on is withheld or when cons tu onally protected rights

have been trampled.

S

FACEBOOK: EVERGREEN FREEDOM FOUNDATIONTWITTER: http://twitter.com/freedomfdtn

WWW.LIBERTYLIVE.ORG


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Support the Freedom Founda on! If you are not already a member of the Freedom Founda on, you can join with us by making a tax-

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Our IRS tax ID number is 94-3136961.

Please send me addi onal print copies of the Informed Voter Guide at $2 eachcopies of the Informed Voter Guide x $2 = $

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W W W . I N F O R M E D v O T E R g U I D E . C O M


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isco raged by what yo j st read? Join with the tho -

sands of other ci zens in our Ci zen Ac on Network to

help restore freedom in Washington state and our na on. Go to

e can.org to nd out how to become part of the movement.

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THE INFORMED VOTER GUIDE

Tools for ci zens who want to hold their legislators accountable for governing well

A p R O j E C T O F T h E E V E R G R E E N F R E E d O m F O u N d A T I O N

N O N

- P R O F I T O R G

.

U . S . P

O S T A G E

P A I D

O L Y M P I A

, W A

P E R M I T # 4 6 2

E V E R G R E E N F R E E D O M

F O U N D A T I O N

P O B O X 5 5 2 , O L Y M P I A

, W A 9 8 5 0 7

w w w . e

f w a . o

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