The 14 co-sponsors of I-1053, the "Save The 2/3's Vote For Tax Increases Initiative" just released this statement this afternoon:

Voters have approved the 2/3's vote requirement for tax increases 3 times, in 1993, 1998, and just recently in 2007. Voters keep approving a law that requires either 2/3's of the politicians or a majority vote of the people for taxes to be increased. They want tax increases to be an absolute last resort.

Today, without hesitation, the Democrats in Olympia voted to violate that voter-approved law.

But the drafters of I-960 recognized that Democrats would try to circumvent this law so we required much more transparency and more information to be provided to voters. Nonetheless, Democrats tried to sidestep those rules by exempting themselves from it with Senate Bill 6843.

Heroically, the Republicans in the senate today (especially Senators Don Benton, Pam Roach, Janea Holmquist, Mike Hewitt, and Joe Zarelli) offered a slew of amendments to force floor votes on these individual sunshine provisions. Senator Benton had 15 amendments lined up with his colleagues ready to speak on each one. Realizing how indefensible their positions were on these transparency requirements, the Democrats dropped their suspension of I-960's sunshine provisions. The people and the press will continue to receive the same information they've been getting for the last two years under I-960: how much do these tax and fee increase bills cost the taxpayers, who are the legislators sponsoring them, when are the hearings, and how legislators are voting on them.

There's no justification for legislators' voting records to be kept secret from the public. If Democrats jack up a tax and then slap an emergency clause on it, preventing the people's right to referendum, the citizens have the right, under I-960, to be told how legislators voted on the 'emergency' tax increase and express their opinion on the tax increase. Democrats shouldn't be raising taxes and they shouldn't be using emergency clauses to make their tax increases "referendum-proof" -- both of which screw over the taxpayers.

But with the Democrats vote today, taxpayers are still gonna get screwed, but we at least get to find out who screwed us and by how much.

The last thing struggling taxpayers and our state's fragile economy can withstand is higher taxes, especially now during these tough economic times. Citizens have a right to expect Governor Gregoire to be held to her September, 2008 gubernatorial promise: Gregoire later pledged not to raise taxes, her strongest statement so far on her outlook for taxes in the next budget. "I won't raise taxes in tough economic times," Gregoire said. "We're not going to be raising taxes."

Today, the Democrats in Olympia voted to eliminate the 2/3's vote requirement for raising taxes, making it easier to take more of the people's money. It's not what the voters wanted, it's not what newspaper editorial boards wanted, and it's not what is needed -- no government can tax itself out of a recession.

Regards, Our Expanded Team of co-sponsors for I-1053, the "Save The 2/3's Vote For Tax Increases Initiative": Tim Eyman, Jack Fagan, Mike Fagan, Mike Dunmire, Senator Don Benton, Senator Janea Holmquist, Erma Turner, Nancy Nelson, Dagny Lord, Keli Carender, Senator Pam Roach, Rep. Matt Shea, John Ahern & Ken Morse, ph: 425-493-9127, email: tim_eyman@comcast.net, http://www.VotersWantMoreChoices.com