AWB gears up to support initiative campaigns as election season kicks into high gear
OLYMPIA — The Association of Washington Business today applauded the efforts of employers and Washington state citizens who helped qualify two key ballot measures for this fall’s ballot.
Signature petitions for Initiatives 1053 (requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature for tax increases) and 1082 (introducing competition into workers’ compensation) were delivered to the Secretary of State’s office this week in Olympia. Friday, July 2 marked the deadline for initiative campaigns to submit 241,000-plus valid signatures necessary to secure a spot on the fall statewide ballot.
AWB, the state’s oldest and largest business group —representing primarily small and medium-sized employers from around the state — has endorsed both measures and is actively campaigning for their passage.
“Voters — especially Washington state employers — want some certainty in their lives right now,” said AWB President Don Brunell. “The cumulative effect of taxes, fees and regulations is making it difficult to stay in business. Both 1053 and 1082 would help give our members a firmer foothold,” he said.
“Voters approved I-960 three years ago. They wanted to limit the growth of government and taxes. Now the state’s in a budget crisis and Democrat lawmakers revoked the will of the people. That’s why our members have expressed such strong support for 1053.
“AWB member companies are also weary of the skyrocketing taxes and politics that are unraveling our state’s workers’ compensation system. The Legislature had several chances to take this on, and punted every time. So the employer community stepped up with I-1082, in the hopes that even a few of the fundamental issues — like privatization – might be resolved,” he said. “Voters will have the final say, and we’re eager to tell our side of the story between now and November. These are important issues for our times.”
AWB is also actively working to defeat Initiative 1098, instituting a state income tax. Signatures for I-1098 were delivered Thursday to the Secretary of State’s office. The measure would be devastating for Washington’s overall competitiveness, not to mention the long-term impact on family businesses in our state, Brunell added.
“Lawmakers are facing a $3 billion deficit this winter — maybe more by the time they convene in January. They’ve already jettisoned the two-thirds tax vote, and could easily widen the scope of I-1098 to collect even more revenue,” said Brunell.
“Voters need to look beyond the slick sales pitch of I-1098 and think more broadly about what this could mean for the economy in our state. Everyone is at risk if this measure passes.”
About the Association of Washington Business
Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association, and includes more than 7,000 members representing 650,000 employees. AWB serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. While its membership includes major employers like Boeing, Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser, 90 percent of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half of AWB’s members employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, visit www.awb.org.
