Judge Blocks $30 Car Tab Measure
SEATTLE (AP) — A judge has blocked Tim Eyman’s $30 car tab measure from taking effect in Washington state, citing “substantial concerns” that the initiative’s description on the ballot was misleading.
Voters approved Initiative 976 earlier this month. It caps most taxes paid through annual vehicle registration at $30 and also largely revokes the authority of state and local governments to add new taxes and fees.
The city of Seattle, King County and other groups sued to stop the measure. Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said the reductions caused by the measure would cut more than 100,000 bus hours and would hamper her program to provide free bus access for high school students and low-income residents.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office, which is defending I-976, disputed those claims, pointing to the city’s growing transportation budget.