Here are my prepared remarks for today's hearing - read it and learn what happened today.

Here are my prepared remarks for today’s hearing — read it and learn what happened today.

Friday, August 19, 2022

I worked on this late into the night yesterday.

Here are my prepared remarks for today’s hearing:

“Why do we have tax advisory votes? To answer that, some history:

“In 2002, the Legislature raised taxes on small businesses and lowered taxes on big businesses. Citizens filed a referendum, got enough signatures, and voters repealed it. It was a perfect example of the people exercising their right to referendum guaranteed in our state Constitution.

“But the Legislature didn’t like that. Not one bit. So they set out to negate the constitutional right to referendum. And tragically, they have succeeded. That 2002 referendum was the last referendum on taxes. Since then, for 20 years, the Legislature has raised taxes numerous times but NOT ONCE was there a referendum to give the people the chance to vote on it.

“After that successful 2002 referendum, the Legislature became adept at making their bills immune to referendum through the overuse of the emergency clause, bonding of tax revenue, and other tactics.

“Having one of our basic constitutional rights taken away from us through this kind of systematic legislative manipulation is a real tragedy.

“So in 2007, Initiative 960 was proposed and it included a policy that would at least give the voters information and allow them to express an opinion whenever the Legislature “raised taxes”. An advisory vote doesn’t allow the voters to veto the bill raising taxes, the way a referendum does, but an advisory vote at least puts it on the ballot for the voters to learn about and vote on.

“Legislators have taken away the people’s right to referendum. In its place is the right to receive information and express an opinion with a tax advisory vote.

“Your Honor, 2 weeks ago, you said ‘the public has the right to know.’ and you ruled in favor of my requested TRO and mandated that there be a tax advisory vote on the Democrats’ $3.9 billion Cap & Trade bill.

“And you ruled that I was likely to prevail on the merits at today’s hearing.

“2 weeks ago, you said ‘the public has a right to know.’

“That right has not diminished.

“2 weeks ago, you said the requirement there be a public vote at the “next election”, that the word “next” could be interpreted different ways, one of which was to have the vote this November.

“That is still true.

“The only thing that’s changed is the state supreme court is attempting to tell your Honor how to rule today.

“This seems completely improper to me. The TRO was appealed and the High Court was asked to rule on it. But appeals are only allowed for final decisions. And a Temporary Restraining Order is, by definition, not final. It is temporary. So I would ask your Honor to make your ruling today based on your view of the law.

“Last night, I was at the Bellevue Hyatt listening to Jim Washburn play the piano. He sang a song by Frank Sinatra that I’ve loved all my life. It’s called My Way. Every time I hear it, I get chills. And last night, as I listened to the song’s final verse, I thought of you, your Honor:

“For what is a man, what has he got?

“If not himself, then he has naught.

“To say the things he truly feels;

“And not the words of one who kneels.

“This is your courtroom, your Honor.

“Make a ruling today that says the things you truly feel.

“You said ‘the public has a right to know.’

“Those are not the words of someone who kneels.

— END —

That is what I was prepared to say.

But as soon as the hearing began, Judge Dixon said the AG had succeeded in getting the state supreme court to order the judge to dismiss the case.

It’s clear Judge Dixon wanted to rule in my favor and allow the people to learn about and vote on the Democrats’ $3.9 billion Cap & Trade bill.

But Bob Ferguson conspired with the High Court to tie Judge Dixon’s hands so he couldn’t rule the way he wanted to.

This is totally unprecedented.

The normal procedure is this:

1) A judge makes a final ruling.
2) The side that loses then appeals it.
3) The high court either agrees or disagrees with the judge’s final ruling.

Here, Judge Dixon had only indicated he was likely to rule in my favor (but no final decision had been made). Yet nonetheless Bob Ferguson invented an unprecedented process where he got the High Court to order the judge to rule a certain way on a motion he hadn’t yet decided on.

This is corruption writ large.

It is absolutely maddening that the AG and the supreme court conspired to block the people from learning about and voting on the Democrats’ $3.9 billion Cap & Trade bill.

In tomorrow’s update I’ll have more to say about this.

Despite all the roadblocks thrown in our way, I’m still fighting for our initiatives and for the people’s right to vote.

I’m urging you — while I’m fighting to help our state and our nation — to please donate to my legal defense fund so I can appeal the AG’s ridiculously unconstitutional restrictions on the First Amendment and make sure what he’s doing to me and my family never happens to anyone else ever again.

Mail-in donation: Tim Eyman Legal Defense Fund, 500 106th Ave NE #709, Bellevue, WA, 98004
Or donate online:
By PayPal
By Credit/Debit

And now a message from Larry Jensen & Sid Maietto:

We’re asking folks to donate to our PAC so we can keep fighting for taxpayers with Jim Walsh’s initiative I-1491, the STOP ALL INCOME TAXES INITIATIVE.

The taxpayers of Washington need our help now more than ever. Donate to our political committee so we can keep fighting for you:

Mail your check — made payable to “Permanent Offense I-1491” — to: Permanent Offense, PO Box 6151, Olympia, WA, 98507
Or donate online: PermanentOffense.com

Kindest Regards,

Sid Maietto & Larry Jensen

— END —

Thanks everyone.

Larry, Tim, & Sid