State Supreme Court strikes down super-majority requirement for raising taxes

As we’ve been asserting for years, Tim Eyman’s initiatives requiring a super-majority requirement for the legislature to pass tax increases is unconstitutional.  As reported in the Seattle P-I, and as you can see for your self here at the State Supreme Court’s website,

The state Supreme Court has thrown out a referendum passed by voters that would have required a legislative supermajority to pass new tax increases.

In a split 6-3 decision issued Thursday morning, the high court found that Tim Eyman-backed Initiative 1053 violates the state constitution. Washington voters passed the initiative in 2010, prompting a lawsuit by the League of Education Voters and others.

Writing for the majority, Justice Susan Owens asserted the requirement that 2/3rds of the legislature vote to approve any tax increases violates the constitutional requirement that “no bill shall become law unless … a majority of members elected to each house” vote for it.

In anticipation of this ruling, right wing groups have been working on bills that would make the super-majority requirement part of the state constitution. See Five proposed bills would amend the State Constutition to impose supermajority requirements for raising taxes.

Since Governor Inslee campaigned on a promise not to raise taxes, since the State Senate is controlled by Republicans, and since even Democratic legislators are afraid to challenge the anti-tax mentality that is decimating education, social services, and the police, it’s up to concerned citizens to step forward and educate the public about the unjust and regressive tax system in Washington State.