Court Refuses To Stop Eyeman Tax Limiting Initiative

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state Supreme Court won't block an initiative that would limit the Legislature's ability to raise taxes from appearing on the November ballot.

The court issued its decision Friday morning, and said an opinion explaining the court's reasoning would come later.

Initiative 1366 would decrease the 6.5-percent state sales tax to 5.5 percent unless the Legislature puts a constitutional amendment before voters that would reinstate a two-thirds legislative majority to raise taxes.

The state Office of Financial Management estimated that I-1366 would reduce revenue to the state budget by $8 billion through the middle of 2021, if its tax-cut element becomes law.

A lawsuit was filed by opponents who said the measure would essentially change the state constitution and was beyond the scope of Washington's initiative law.