Rep. Peter Abbarno opposes majority party effort to repeal advisory votes
Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, urged members of the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee to vote no on Senate Bill 5082, which would repeal advisory votes enacted by the people.
Advisory Votes on Legislative Tax Increases. Initiative 960, which was approved in 2007, created a process for Washington citizens to participate in an advisory vote on whether a tax increase passed by the Legislature should be repealed or maintained. The vote is nonbinding and the results do not affect the law. The advisory vote occurs at the next general election. An advisory vote is not held if the tax increase is referred to the people as a referendum or is included in a people's initiative. ESSB 5082 would unilaterally repeal Initiative 960 without a vote of the people.
“The voters chose to have advisory votes on the ballot and the Legislature is unilaterally going against the will of the people without their input,” said Abbarno. “Voters want an opportunity to share with Olympia their perspective on what we're doing right and what we're doing wrong.”
House Republicans offered numerous amendments, including many from Abbarno. No amendments were taken and the bill passed along party lines.
