A fifth initiative of the people has been certified by the Secretary of State. And while House Republican lawmakers have again called for a public hearing, Democrats don’t want to hear from citizens.
Initiative 2111 would codify the prohibition of an income tax in the Washington State Constitution. House Republican Assistant Floor Leader Peter Abbarno from Centralia offered a motion on the House floor that the state constitution and legislative rules allow for immediate action to hold a public hearing.
“Before other matters, preceding other matters, and this is our obligation. More than 430,000 people that signed the initiative to this body, share their opinion, voice their policy position with us – we must listen.”
For the fifth time in two weeks, majority Democrats voted unanimously to deny the right for citizens to be heard on an initiative they signed.
“I don’t understand why the majority would resist scheduling the initiatives for hearings, when we are willing to spend time on other matters. We hear bills in committee every single day and I don’t believe our constitution says that initiative measures shall take precedence, except when hearing bills that allow felons to vote or policies that ban natural gas to heat our homes.”
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