Initiatives range from smoking to gas tax 07:20 PM PDT on Friday, July 8, 2005
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Foes of Washington's gas tax increase turned in the last of more than 420,000 signatures Friday, or nearly double the number needed to qualify Initiative 912 for the November ballot. Resources
While the secretary of state's office still must verify that the campaign has sufficient valid signatures - roughly 225,000 are required - sponsors were confident that voters would get a chance to overturn the 9.5-cent-per-gallon increase passed by the state Legislature. I-912 sponsors turned in nearly 190,000 signatures Friday, on top of about 232,000 on Wednesday. Signatures poured in during the final hours, said Brett Bader, spokesman for NoNewGasTax.com, adding some people held on to their petitions until the last minute to get as many signatures as possible. "It's been an avalanche," Bader said. His group only began collecting signatures about a month ago. The first 3 cents of the increase kicked in last Friday atop the state's old 28-cent-a-gallon tax. The rest is scheduled to be phased in over the next few years: three cents in 2006, two cents in 2007 and 1.5 cents in 2008. An ambitious $8.5 billion, 16-year transportation program would help finance "mega-projects" like replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle and building a new state Route 520 bridge across Lake Washington. It also would provide cash for hundreds of highway and bridge projects, rail, ferries and other improvements. The level of early support for the initiative just means gas tax increase supporters will have to work harder, said Lily Eng, spokeswoman for Keep Washington Rolling. "... We're going to have to get out there and work harder to explain to the public why this transportation plan is necessary for the state," she said. Tax increase foes say the tax increase won't ease traffic congestion. Eng responded that the increase isn't about easing congestion, it's about keeping roads safe. If I-912 passes, it could put on hold a number of repairs for roads such as the U.S. 12 in Walla Walla, Eng said. The Alaskan Way Viaduct is structurally unsound and needs to be addressed immediately, she said. "These projects are all in jeopardy" if the initiative passes, she said. The gas tax foes aren't the only ones hoping they've secured a spot on the November ballot. Other initiatives More than a dozen initiatives were filed by Washington citizens this year, though only a handful made Friday's deadline requirement of nearly 225,000 signatures. The secretary of state's office said it may take until next month to determine which initiatives actually have sufficient valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot. Filing by the deadline were: Initiative 900 Would direct the state auditor to conduct performance audits of state and local government agencies and entities, including executive, legislative, and judicial agencies. The audits would include reviews of the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of each agency's policies, management, fiscal affairs, and operations. To pay for the audits, 0.16 percent of the state's portion of sales and use tax collections would be placed in a new state treasury account and used only for performance audits. Initiative 901 Would prohibit smoking in public places and in places of employment. Current laws allowing designation of certain smoking areas would be repealed, including allowing the designation of an entire restaurant, bar, tavern, bowling alley, skating rink, or tobacco shop as a smoking area. The prohibition would include areas within 25 feet of entrances, exits, opening windows and ventilation intakes, unless shorter distances are approved by the director of the local health department. Initiative 912 Would repeal motor vehicle fuel tax increases of 3 cents in 2005 and in 2006, 2 cents in 2007, and 1.5 cents per gallon in 2008. Initiative 330 Would change health care liability laws by limiting recovery for noneconomic damages to $350,000 (with exception); limiting attorney fees; requiring advance notice of lawsuits; shortening time for filing cases; expanding evidence of payment from other sources and eliminating subrogation for those sources; authorizing mandatory arbitration without trial; authorizing periodic payments of future damages and terminating those payments under certain circumstances; eliminating liability for other persons or entities in some cases; and limiting damage recovery from multiple health care providers. Initiative 336 Would establish a supplemental malpractice insurance program for liability exceeding private insurance, overseen by an appointed board and the insurance commissioner. Health care facilities and providers would pay for coverage; the Legislature could add state money. Public notice and hearings on malpractice rate increases would be required. In lawsuits, experts would be limited and plaintiffs required to certify merit of cases. Medical doctors' licenses could be revoked for three malpractice incidents absent mitigating circumstances. Source: Washington Secretary of State
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