Democratic state senators’ pursuit of new barriers to Washington’s initiative process ended quietly Tuesday.
Senate Bill 5973, dubbed the “initiative-killer” by opponents, lapsed when it did not get passed by a 5 p.m. deadline for action on non-budget bills.
Sen. Javier Valdez, D-Seattle, the bill’s prime sponsor, and Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, each cited unresolved concerns from many corners, including other senators and Gov. Bob Ferguson, as the reason for the controversial legislation’s demise.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed. I’m trying to remain positive,” Valdez said. “I’m encouraged that a lot of them still wanted to have the discussion. We’ll roll up our sleeves in the interim and hope to bring back another version in 2027.”
The bill would have barred paying a person for each signature they collect on initiative petitions and allowed legal action against those suspected of violations. It also would have added a new step by requiring a person, when starting the process, to submit signatures of 1,000 registered voters to show support for their proposal. An identical House bill died in January.
To qualify an initiative for the ballot or send it to the Legislature to consider requires thousands of signatures — 386,000 currently, after factoring in a buffer for signatures that get rejected.
Opponents argued the new restrictions would have impeded voters’ ability to engage in the process.
Two critics — the secretary of state and the leader of the conservative political committee behind two ballot-bound measures this year — applauded Tuesday’s news.
“This is a hard-earned victory protecting one of the few tools voters have left to fight against an otherwise unchecked legislature,” said Brian Heywood, the hedge fund manager who founded Let’s Go Washington. The bill’s proposed penalties would have “chilled participation” in the signature gathering process, he said.
Valdez saw the legislation as a stride toward restoring integrity to a form of direct democracy that he said has been co-opted by large financial forces. “Anyone with enough money to bankroll their way through the initiative qualifying process can force statewide votes on any issue that’s personal to them,” he said at a public hearing.
The debate seemed to be a thinly-veiled swipe at Let’s Go Washington, which has proven adept at advancing ballot measures — even if they don’t always pass.
Two years ago, the group, largely underwritten with Heywood’s millions, sent six initiatives to the Legislature, each aiming to repeal or revise a major policy supported by Democrats. Lawmakers adopted three and voters rejected the other three.
Two more dealing with parental rights and transgender athletes will be on the ballot in November.
“The attempt by the Legislature to kneecap the people’s initiative process was both shameless and arrogant,” Heywood said.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs struck a more measured tone. In public hearings, he recounted his office’s efforts to curtail frivolous filings of initiatives. If there’s concern with misbehaving signature gatherers, increase penalties for breaking the law, he said.
“We cannot allow partisanship to distract us from what should be our ultimate goal: Protecting citizens’ rights to directly participate in our democracy,” he said in a statement. “Washingtonians who came before us found this right so foundational, it is enshrined in our state constitution.”
Reporter Jake Goldstein-Street contributed to this report.
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