Initiative 1491, to ban state and local income taxes in Washington
Key Findings
Initiative 1491 is an initiative to the legislature that would re-enact a ban on elected officials imposing an income tax at the state or local level.
If the measure gains enough signatures lawmakers can adopt it next session, propose an alternative or take no action.
If lawmakers do not pass the initiative it will be placed on the November 2023 ballot, possibly with an alternative.
For decades Washington had a non-controversial local income tax ban law until it was overturned by an appeals court in 2019.
An income tax ban clearly reflects the popular will in Washington. Since the 1930s, voters have rejected income tax ballot proposals by wide margins 10 times.
Lawmakers could also re- enact the non-controversial 1984 state law, or refer SJR 8204 to voters to place an income tax ban in the state constitution
Introduction
A group of concerned citizens called Let’s Go Washington is gathering signatures for a proposed people’s initiative to the legislature, Initiative 1491, which would ban state and local officials from imposing an income tax.
Initiative sponsors need to collect 324,516 valid signatures (8% of the votes cast in the last election for governor) to submit Initiative 1491 for consideration in the 2023 legislative session. The signatures must be received by the Secretary of State’s office by December 31, 2022.
If the measure qualifies lawmakers have three choices:
- They can enact the initiative into law as is (the governor’s signature is not required);
- They can take no action, in which case the initiative is forwarded to voters on the November 2023 ballot. If voters approve the initiative it becomes law;
- They can pass their own alternative version, in which case both versions, the original and the legislature’s, will appear on the November 2023 ballot. Voters will first decide if either version should become law and, if so, indicate on the same ballot which one should pass.
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