LWVWA Has Taken a Position in Opposition to All Four Ballot Measures

Initiative 2066

Official Ballot Title: Initiative Measure No. 2066 concerns regulating energy services, including natural gas and electrification. This measure would repeal or prohibit certain laws and regulations that discourage natural gas use, and/or promote electrification, and require certain utilities and local governments to provide natural gas to eligible customers.

Initiative 2066 would prohibit towns, cities, and counties from enacting building codes that encourage electrification of home and building energy. Building electrification improves indoor air quality over fossil-fuel sources. In addition, it would repeal HB 1589 passed in 2024. This law applies only to Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and specifies that PSE plan for an eventual transition to renewable, low-emission energy sources. The law also consolidates and clarifies multiple planning processes required by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission providing more efficiency and transparency.

HB 1589 does not force electrification, it does not require removal of natural gas service in existing buildings and homes, nor does it prohibit natural gas in new buildings. The law was supported by PSE and requires that they consider electrification as part of their integrated system plan. It also requires PSE to end residential customer incentives for natural gas in 2025.

Natural gas is primarily methane, a fossil fuel and potent greenhouse gas. Methane and products of its combustion degrade human health, especially in children, and especially in buildings and homes. Electric energy in buildings and homes is safer, healthier, and more efficient. Therefore, we should encourage the transition with planning and investment.

For more information or to identify a speaker on this topic, contact Martin Gibbins, LWVWA Climate Crisis Issue Chair.

See our press release announcing this position.

Initiative 2109

Official Ballot Title: Initiative Measure No. 2109 concerns taxes. This measure would repeal an excise tax imposed on the sale or exchange of certain long-term capital assets by individuals who have annual capital gains of over $250,000.

This measure applies only to long-term capital assets with capital gains over $250,000. There are very few people in Washington State to whom this applies. The tax generates millions of dollars for education. The first $500 million supports the State's public education system; the remaining balance helps to fund school construction and maintenance. WA State is obligated, by the State's Constitution, to provide ample funding for education—this capital gains tax, collected from a very small number of people, helps to ensure the state can meet this obligation.

The League's position on this capital gains tax stems from its support for public education and for creating a more equitable tax structure. For more information, or to identify a speaker on this topic, contact Cynthia Stewart, LWVWA Revenue Issue Chair.

Initiative 2117

Official Ballot Title: Initiative Measure No. 2117 concerns carbon tax credit trading. This measure would prohibit state agencies from imposing any type of carbon tax credit trading, and repeal legislation establishing a cap and invest program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The CCA is a very complex law that helps Washington State respond to the climate crisis. It enables WA to generate funding for increasing energy efficiency, reducing pollution, restoring the environment, creating programs that provide environmental justice in marginalized communities, and repairing certain transportation infrastructures. It generates this funding through a system of auctioning allowances for carbon emissions while reducing the level of allowable emissions over time.

The League's position on this comes from extensive climate-related policies, including consistency with the best available climate science, reducing emissions, addressing the long-term impacts of climate change on public health, accelerating the shift to cleaner, more energy-efficient sources, and more. For more information or to identify a speaker on this topic, contact Martin Gibbins, LWVWA Climate Crisis Issue Chair.

Initiative 2124

Initiative Measure No. 2124 concerns state long term care insurance. This measure would provide that employees and self-employed people must elect to keep coverage under RCW 50B.04 and could opt-out any time. It would also repeal a law governing an exemption for employees.

This program allows employees to receive long-term care services through deposits of employee payroll taxes over a period of time, which are then invested for future use. The program was initiated because so many people cannot afford private long-term care services, even though over 70% of the population eventually needs them. If many people drop out of this program, it could not accrue enough future funds through investment gains to provide the long-term care services when they are needed. This would cost taxpayers more in the future through increased personal and Medicaid expenses.

The League's support for this program comes from its position that total health care system expenditures should be controlled, and universal access to affordable health services—with seamless coverage regardless of one's health status—should be provided. For more information or to identify a speaker on this topic, contact Cynthia Stewart, LWVWA Revenue Chair or Karen Tvedt, LWVWA Elder Care Study Leader.

Posted 10/1/2024.