SJR 8211 passes Senate committee — every single Democrat disrespected their constituents

by | Jan 26, 2016

We have some really exciting news:  the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus is fast-tracking SJR 8211, the proposed 2/3-for-taxes constitutional amendment.  SJR 8211 was approved in committee yesterday.  It passed 4-3 and now goes to the Rules committee where it will be scheduled for a floor vote in the Senate soon.

        We’re absolutely thrilled.  Mega-credit goes to Senator Pam Roach (R-Auburn) for sponsoring SJR 8211 and shepherding it successfully through her committee — she has shown tremendous leadership and perserverence on this issue.  Also special thanks go to Senator Don Benton (R-Vancouver) for his inspiring arguments during debate and the yes votes of Republican Senators Kirk Pearson and Brian Dansel. 

         The Democrats were a complete embarrassment.
 
          Sen. Cyrus Habib (D-Kirkland) sat silently and didn’t even try to justify his disrespect for the 60% of his constituents in the 48th district who support the 2/3 protection.  Coward.
 
         With 67% of 38th district voters supporting the 2/3, Sen. John McCoy (D-Tulalip) said that some of the 6 public votes for the 2/3 were in low turnout years.  But during the highest-turnout presidential year of 2012, our 2/3 initiative got more votes than any initiative in state history and passed in every county.  Nonetheless, to justify his no vote, he said he’d heard from “several people” in recent days that he should vote no, so he decided to listen to them rather than the 67% of voters in the 38th who have shown their emphatic support the 2/3.
 
          Senator Dean Takko (D-Longview) comes from the 19th district and 70% of his constituents support the 2/3.  He said he’s not worried about those voters, he’s only worried about the 17 senators who can stop a tax increase in the future.  But SJR 8211 doesn’t impose a 2/3 requirement, it only refers it to the ballot for the voters to decide.  For 22 years in 6 different votes, the people have clearly expressed their strong support for this protection, and they’re not asking Sen. Takko to impose it, only that he respect the people enough to let them decide for themselves.
 
           Again, the Senate Republicans are fast-tracking Sen. Roach’s SJR 8211.  That means the public will get the chance to learn firsthand which senators respect their constituents and which ones don’t.  Which senators trust the people and which ones don’t.  Which senators view themselves as representatives of the people, and which ones see themselves as rulers over the people.

         On Monday, all 48 House Republicans voted to put the 2/3 constitutional amendment on the House floor for a vote (HJR 4215 by Rep. Orcutt).  Every single Democrat voted against it. 

        URGENT:  Send an email to legislators right away.  Write something like this (feel free to add more, tell ’em how you feel):

“House & Senate Democrats:  isn’t there at least one of you willing to stand up for the 2/3 of voters who clearly want this tougher-to-raise taxes protection?  Even one?  You’re all from pro-2/3 districts, stop disrespecting your constituents.  As for Senator Pam Roach and the members of the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus:  thank you for respecting the people.  You’re doing exactly what the voters want.  ASAP get SJR 8211 on the Senate floor and bring it up again and again and again.  Voters have 6 times voted for this — show us that you are equally persistent and committed.”

        Here are the 88 HOUSE MEMBERS — Republicans and Democrats — from outside Seattle (cut and paste these email addresses into the “To” line of your email):
sherry.appleton@leg.wa.gov; steve.bergquist@leg.wa.gov; brian.blake@leg.wa.gov; vincent.buys@leg.wa.gov; michelle.caldier@leg.wa.gov; bruce.chandler@leg.wa.gov; judy.clibborn@leg.wa.gov; cary.condotta@leg.wa.gov; richard.debolt@leg.wa.gov; tom.dent@leg.wa.gov; hans.dunshee@leg.wa.gov; mary.dye@leg.wa.gov; jake.fey@leg.wa.gov; roger.goodman@leg.wa.gov; mia.gregerson@leg.wa.gov; dan.griffey@leg.wa.gov; larry.haler@leg.wa.gov; drew.hansen@leg.wa.gov; mark.hargrove@leg.wa.gov; mark.harmsworth@leg.wa.gov; paul.harris@leg.wa.gov; brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov; dave.hayes@leg.wa.gov; teri.hickel@leg.wa.gov; jeff.holy@leg.wa.gov; zack.hudgins@leg.wa.gov; graham.hunt@leg.wa.gov; sam.hunt@leg.wa.gov; christopher.hurst@leg.wa.gov; laurie.jinkins@leg.wa.gov; norm.johnson@leg.wa.gov; ruth.kagi@leg.wa.gov; christine.kilduff@leg.wa.gov; steve.kirby@leg.wa.gov; brad.klippert@leg.wa.gov; linda.kochmar@leg.wa.gov; joel.kretz@leg.wa.gov; dan.kristiansen@leg.wa.gov; kristine.lytton@leg.wa.gov; drew.macewen@leg.wa.gov; chad.magendanz@leg.wa.gov; matt.manweller@leg.wa.gov; joan.mcbride@leg.wa.gov; gina.mccabe@leg.wa.gov; bob.mccaslin@leg.wa.gov; jim.moeller@leg.wa.gov; jeff.morris@leg.wa.gov; luis.moscoso@leg.wa.gov; dick.muri@leg.wa.gov; terry.nealey@leg.wa.gov; ed.orcutt@leg.wa.gov; timm.ormsby@leg.wa.gov; lillian.ortiz-self@leg.wa.gov; tina.orwall@leg.wa.gov; kevin.parker@leg.wa.gov; strom.peterson@leg.wa.gov; liz.pike@leg.wa.gov; chris.reykdal@leg.wa.gov; marcus.riccelli@leg.wa.gov; june.robinson@leg.wa.gov; jay.rodne@leg.wa.gov; cindy.ryu@leg.wa.gov; david.sawyer@leg.wa.gov; joe.schmick@leg.wa.gov; elizabeth.scott@leg.wa.gov; mike.sells@leg.wa.gov; tana.senn@leg.wa.gov; matt.shea@leg.wa.gov; shelly.short@leg.wa.gov; norma.smith@leg.wa.gov; larry.springer@leg.wa.gov; melanie.stambaugh@leg.wa.gov; derek.stanford@leg.wa.gov; drew.stokesbary@leg.wa.gov; pat.sullivan@leg.wa.gov; dean.takko@leg.wa.gov; david.taylor@leg.wa.gov; steve.tharinger@leg.wa.gov; kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov; luanne.vanwerven@leg.wa.gov; brandon.vick@leg.wa.gov; maureen.walsh@leg.wa.gov; jt.wilcox@leg.wa.gov; lynda.wilson@leg.wa.gov; sharon.wylie@leg.wa.gov; jesse.young@leg.wa.gov; hans.zeiger@leg.wa.gov; tim_eyman@comcast.net

        Here are the 44 STATE SENATORS — Republicans and Democrats — from outside Seattle (cut and paste these into the “To” line of your email):

jan.angel@leg.wa.gov; Barbara.bailey@leg.wa.gov; Michael.baumgartner@leg.wa.gov; randi.becker@leg.wa.gov; don.benton@leg.wa.gov; andy.billig@leg.wa.gov; john.braun@leg.wa.gov; sharon.brown@leg.wa.gov; maralyn.chase@leg.wa.gov; annette.cleveland@leg.wa.gov; steve.conway@leg.wa.gov; bruce.dammeier@leg.wa.gov; brian.dansel@leg.wa.gov; j.darneille@leg.wa.gov; jeannie.darneille@leg.wa.gov; doug.ericksen@leg.wa.gov; joe.fain@leg.wa.gov; karen.fraser@leg.wa.gov; cyrus.habib@leg.wa.gov; jim.hargrove@leg.wa.gov; bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov; mike.hewitt@leg.wa.gov; andy.hill@leg.wa.gov; steve.hobbs@leg.wa.gov; jim.honeyford@leg.wa.gov; karen.keiser@leg.wa.gov; curtis.king@leg.wa.gov; marko.liias@leg.wa.gov; steve.litzow@leg.wa.gov; rosemary.mcauliffe@leg.wa.gov; john.mccoy@leg.wa.gov; mark.miloscia@leg.wa.gov; mark.mullet@leg.wa.gov; steve.oban@leg.wa.gov; mike.padden@leg.wa.gov; linda.parlette@leg.wa.gov; kirk.pearson@leg.wa.gov; kevin.ranker@leg.wa.gov; ann.rivers@leg.wa.gov; pam.roach@leg.wa.gov; christine.rolfes@leg.wa.gov; mark.schoesler@leg.wa.gov; timothy.sheldon@leg.wa.gov; judy.warnick@leg.wa.gov; tim_eyman@comcast.net;

          It’s critical that these 132 non-Seattle legislators hear from us IMMEDIATELY, RIGHT NOW, TODAY.  

          Please help us keep fighting.  We need your financial support to continue fighting for taxpayers in the courts, in the legislature, and with our initiatives.  Please make a donation today.  As long as we keep the pressure on, we will continue to make it tougher for Olympia to take more of the people’s money.           

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