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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Since January 11, six initiatives to the Legislature have been certified by the Secretary of State.
Initiative 2113: reverses the Democrats’ restrictive police pursuit law, restoring the ability of our men and women in law enforcement to engage in vehicular pursuits when there is reasonable suspicion a crime has been committed.
Initiative 2117: repeals the carbon tax passed by Democrats in 2021, which caused the price of gas to skyrocket, including to more than $5 per gallon last summer (Washington still has the third-highest gas prices in the nation).
Initiative 2081: establishes a “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” outlining various rights for parents and legal guardians of public schoolchildren, including access to educational materials, records, medical information, notifications, and the ability to opt-out of certain activities and classes.
Initiative 2109: repeals the capital gains income tax passed by Democrats in 2021.
Initiative 2111: prohibits state and local personal income taxes.
Initiative 2124: allows all Washington workers to opt-out of the Democrats’ long-term care insurance program and payroll tax, which is costing the average Washingtonian hundreds of dollars per year.
Because they’re in the majority, Democrats had the option to adopt, reject, or ignore these six initiatives before the adjournment of session on March 7. They chose to ignore them.
For our part, House Republicans tried to compel Democrats to hold public hearings, making six separate motions from the floor. We argued lawmakers had a moral and constitutional obligation to hold such hearings and give Washingtonians a voice. After all, the state constitution says initiatives “shall take precedence over all other measures in the legislature except appropriation bills…“
Democrats rejected all six of our motions, which means the initiatives will be on the ballot this November.
You’ll be able to make your voice heard then.
A catalog of crises: The data behind Washington’s decline
In his State of the State address this year, Governor Inslee declared: “The state of our state is stronger than ever.” The reality is Washington is facing a catalog of crises. Watch and share:
Sitting down with TVW’s Austin Jenkins
Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with TVW’s Austin Jenkins for a wide-ranging interview on this year’s legislative session and what House Republicans are hoping to accomplish. Watch:
Amplifying our message and contacting me
Please continue helping us amplify our message this session. Sign up for text alerts and follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. I also encourage you to bookmark my legislative website, where you’ll find my latest press releases, video updates, radio interviews, and more.
It is an honor to serve you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any comments, questions or concerns.
Warmly,
Drew Stokesbary
