Eyman treks to Oly to hand out Legislator of the Year Awards – a great day

Yesterday was a thrilling, exhausting, exhilarating day.  It was a 5 am departure from Mukilteo with a 8 pm return time.  I didn’t have a bite of food all day because of the frenetic pace, but I didn’t notice because it was so incredibly fun. 

         In appreciation for them installing a 2/3-for-any-tax-increase vote requirement in the formal rules for the state senate during the 2017-2018 legislative sessions, I had the honor of presenting each of the 25 members of the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus their own Legislator of the Year Award for 2017.  The senators I met with really appreciated the recognition but one of them said something that really struck me:  “It seems kinda odd to get an award for doing the right thing.”

         There’s certainly some truth to that.  But as I’ve observed too often in Olympia:  there doesn’t seem to be a lot of instances where legislators do what the taxpayers want.  And in this case, the 25 members of the MCC instituted a taxpayer-protection policy that 2/3 of voters have repeatedly supported and clearly want. 

      I will have photos to share next week, but the day was a whirlwind of activity.  I wanted to give each senator their award in person but they were all meeting with constituents and coming and going to hearings, so connecting with them was quite a challenge.  And as I learned right away, lugging around 25 beautifully framed awards all over campus was almost comical.  But senators and legislative aides and staff throughout the Capitol could not have been more helpful and accommodating once they saw what I was trying to do.

           As I wrote yesterday, each award read as follows:

 VOTERS WANT MORE CHOICES
         Legislator of the Year 2017
     Senator John Braun (for example)

Thank you for listening to the 2/3 of voters who oppose higher taxes.  There’s nothing you will do in 2017 that will surpass your heroic vote to include a 2/3-for-any-tax-increase requirement in the Senate rules.  Your bold effort to protect taxpayers was unquestionably the right thing to do.  2/3 of voters cheered.  2/3 of voters stand with you.  Always remember that Inslee / Democrats / Big Labor / WEA-sponsored judges / the media want higher taxes but they only represent 1/3 of voters.  You represent the supermajority of voters who don’t support tax increases.  Thank you for what you did.  Thank you for respecting the people’s don’t-take-more-of-our-money mandate when they passed our initiatives:  960 in 2007, 1053 in 2010, 1185 in 2012, and especially 1366 in 2015.  Taxpayers are lucky to have John Braun fighting for them.
 

      I couldn’t be happier or prouder that this policy will be in effect for the next two years in Olympia.  It doesn’t mean we’ve won, but it does mean we’re winning. 

      If not for our Initiative 960 in 2007, our Initiative 1053 in 2010, our Initiative 1185 in 2012, and especially Initiative 1366 in 2015, this achievement would not have happened.  We showed what passion and persistence and perseverance looks like. 

      We salute these 25 senators for listening to the people. 

       You can count on us to fight against state and local government’s insatiable tax appetite.  The voters’ passage of our Initiative 1366 certainly shows that the people are in no mood for any tax hikes, let alone Inslee’s increases totaling $5.5 billion (http://www.theolympian.com/news/politics-government/article123912839.html).