A Tim Eyman-written measure to make Washington state car tabs cost just $30 could be on your ballot this November. It could have far-reaching effects.
Another initiative to make Washington state car tabs cost a flat $30 has been certified by the Washington secretary of state. It will first be considered by legislators and, depending on what happens, could go to voters on the November ballot.
Known as I-976, this is the most recent anti-tax measure from Tim Eyman, who first brought a successful $30 car-tab initiative to voters in 1999 and has since followed with another 19 initiatives and one referendum.
In addition to cutting car-tab fees, I-976 would also overturn fees levied on heavier vehicles that fund public-transit projects throughout the state.
The measure will be before legislators during the 2019 legislative session, said Erich Ebel, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office. From here, three things could happen:
- Legislators could pass it as written, in which case the measure would not appear on the ballot.
- The Legislature could take a pass on the initiative, which means voters would have their say on the matter in November.
- The Legislature could pass an alternative bill. In that case, the two options would appear side-by-side on the ballot.
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Passage of the initiative would cripple Sound Transit, which relies on car-tab fees to fund its expansion of light-rail and bus service throughout the Puget Sound region, The Seattle Times has reported.
It also would deal a financial blow to more than 60 cities and towns, including Seattle, that charge an additional vehicle-registration fee, ranging from $20 to $80, to fund local transportation projects.
Eyman has said he submitted more than 350,000 signatures to the secretary of state. About 260,000 valid signatures are required to qualify an initiative for the ballot.