March 5th, 2003

Let the Majority Decide!

Tim Eyman a Hypocrite or Worse?

Contact: Steve Zemke

206-999-6095

stevezemke (at) msn (dot) com

Seattle, WA—Yes, says Steve Zemke, the campaign organizer of Taxpayers for Washington's Future! - the political action committee organized to oppose Tim Eyman's Initiative 807. "We believe that supermajority votes, whether they are the 60% proposed by SJR 8218 for votes on citizen initiatives and referenda or the 2/3 supermajority legislative votes proposed by Eyman in his proposed Initiative 807, are unfair. They both go against the 200 year old voting tradition in this country that says "the majority rules" says Steve Zemke.

Eyman is hypocritical because he wants to be able to deal with tax and fiscal issues by initiative with a simple majority vote and at the same time require Washington State Legislators, elected in fair and open elections to represent us, to have to deal with the same issues by securing supermajority votes of 2/3 of all legislators. Two-thirds votes mean that a minority of 17 State Senators could control the state budget process with their veto power. Meanwhile a majority vote process would mean that 75 legislators or a majority in each house would be required to pass the budget.

Eyman in his own press release acknowledged that none of his initiatives have ever secured a 60% vote much less a 2/3 vote. And he lambasts the Republicans for supporting SJR 8218 because if passed it would mean his Initiative 807 dealing with "expenditure limits" would have to pass by a 60% vote which is unlikely. . He asks in his press release "What are they thinking pushing this bill?" Eyman has every reason to be scared. The original state spending limit initiative, Initiative 601, only passed by 51.5% in 1993.

Hypocrite Eyman wraps himself around the Washington State Constitution saying that "the collective wisdom of 90 legislative sessions has been to leave the system alone" Yet what is he doing? What he neglects to mention is that in this same Washington State Constitution he urges be left alone the drafters in Article II, Section 22 stated that bills passed by the Legislature become law when "A majority of the members elected to each house be recorded thereon as voting in favor." He's trying to change this majority vote to a 2/3 supermajority vote requirement. However to change the constitution requires a constitutional amendment which has to referred to the voters by the legislature and then voted on.Initiative 807 can not change the constitution.

So one more time, no surprise, Eyman again is proposing an initiative, this time I-807, which is certain to be thrown out by the courts as violating the Washington State Constitution.

Taxpayers for Washington's Future! thinks that both Eyman and the Legislature need to leave the process alone.Its time to quit playing numbers games and just let the majority vote as stated in the Washington State Constitution.Sure mistakes and bad votes may be made but at least everyone will play by the same majority rules.

Taxpayers for Washington's Future! is currently circulating a draft alternative initiative to Eyman's 807 for review and in the near future will be filing with the Secretary of State. The alternative measure will allow the legislature to make budget decisions by majority votes as the constitution states.

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