Initiatives to repeal major Democratic policies in Washington state might see some action in the Legislature soon, according to Democratic leaders at a news conference Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, said there are only two initiatives that will not get hearings and will head directly to the ballot for voters in November: one to repeal the state’s capital gains tax and the other to repeal sections of the Climate Commitment Act.
“I think we can definitively say we’re not going to have hearings on these two initiatives that roll back progress and really would harm our state,” Billig said.
The six initiatives are sponsored by Let’s Go Washington and have all been certified by the Secretary of State.
For weeks, Republicans have repeatedly called on the majority party to hold hearings for the initiatives, but Democrats have said they are considering the legal and financial ramifications of the initiatives before they hold any public hearings.
Billig noted in the news conference that repealing the capital gains tax would be “devastating” to funding for childcare in the midst of a childcare crisis. Repealing portions of the CCA would also devastate a major revenue source for transportation in the state, he said.