Official descriptions for non-binding tax advisory votes

The Attorney General's Office has submitted the short descriptions for the two non-binding advisory votes that will appear on the November ballot as required by Initiative 960 for tax increases not first submitted to the voters for approval.

Here are the short descriptions:

Advisory Vote No 1: "The legislature eliminated, without a vote of the people, a business and occupation tax deduction for certain financial institutions' interest on residential loans, costing $148,000,000, in its first ten years, for government spending. This tax increase should be: Repealed/Maintained.

Advisory Vote No 2: "The legislature extended, without a vote of the people, expiration of a tax on possession of petroleum products and reduced the tax rate, costing $24,000,000, in its first ten years, for government spending. This tax increase should be: Repealed/Maintained."

These descriptions follow the legal wording required by RCW 29A.72.283 and are not subject to legal challenge:

Within five days of receipt of a measure for an advisory vote of the people from the secretary of state under RCW 29A.72.040 the attorney general shall formulate a short description not exceeding thirty-three words and not subject to appeal, of each tax increase and shall transmit a certified copy of such short description meeting the requirements of this section to the secretary of state. The description must be formulated and displayed on the ballot substantially as follows:

'The legislature imposed, without a vote of the people, (identification of tax and description of increase), costing (most up-to-date ten-year cost projection, expressed in dollars and rounded to the nearest million) in its first ten years, for government spending. This tax increase should be:

               Repealed . . . [ ]
               Maintained . . . [ ]'

Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays are not counted in calculating the time limits in this section. The words 'This tax increase should be: Repealed . . . [ ] Maintained . . . [ ]' are not counted in the thirty-three word limit for a short description under this section.

Additional Information
Voters should have opportunity to consider at least one tax increase advisory vote this fall