Republicans fight to keep budget fallout of November initiatives from appearing on ballots

Supporters of three citizen initiatives voters will decide this November are suing the state over information it is required to include on ballots warning how the measures could affect Washington’s budget.

Under a 2022 law, the attorney general – currently Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Bob Ferguson – is required to draft the “public investment impact disclosures” for initiatives that could have fiscal fallout.

But backers of this year’s three initiatives – which propose scrapping the state’s cap-and-trade system, ending its capital gains tax, and making a long-term care program optional – argue that the measures don’t fit the criteria for these disclosures. Each of the three initiatives is expected to erode significant state revenue if approved.

In an effort to keep the statements off the ballot, Jim Walsh, state representative and Republican Party chair, and Deanna Martinez, chair of Mainstream Republicans of Washington, filed a lawsuit last month against Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, Office of Financial Management Director David Schumacher and Ferguson.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/06/05/republicans-fight-to-keep-budget-fallout-of-november-initiatives-from-appearing-on-ballots/

Not the party of fiscal responsibility.