Fact Check Washington

In the 2010 election, there were six Initiatives To The People and three referenda on the ballot. Of the nine, four passed.

Initiative 1082 will create a market for private insurers to sell Labor & Industries Insurance (L&I, aka workers comp) in Washington State.  The state is currently the only provider of workers comp, except in cases of large employers, and some argue that this initiative, heavily backed by major insurance carriers, would create an unregulated market… Continue reading »

Legislation via initiative is complicated, so proponents and opponents try to simplify their messages to gain supporters. We’ve already shown how opponents of I-1098 have stretched the truth. Now we find that proponents of I-1098 are doing something similar. In a 30-second commercial, the Vote Yes on 1098 committee claims that the initiative “cannot be… Continue reading »

The Vote Yes On I-1007 campaign asserts that sales taxes on candy and beverages (which they call “groceries”) “hurt” Washington state “food makers” as well as “family farmers and ranchers.” The type of “hurt” is not defined; let’s assume the campaign means the sales tax will “reduce sales.” Given that the initiative is funded primarily… Continue reading »

An ad by the Yes on 1107 campaign claimed that new taxes target in-state farmers and food producers while not taxing out-of-state companies selling similar products. According to the Seattle Times, this ad is misleading and creates an unfair perception of what the taxes actually do. In 1967, lawmakers approved a lower B&O tax rate… Continue reading »

I-1098 opponents argue that “job creation will be harmed by Initiative 1098.” Supporters argue that there are business benefits in I-1098. Who’s right? Economic Opportunity Institute Policy Director Marilyn Watkins endorsed I-1098 in The Columbian because of small business benefits: For middle-class families as well as businesses, I-1098 also reduces the state portion of the property tax by… Continue reading »

In a media teleconference on Oct. 28, I-1098 proponents, including venture capitalist and entrepreneur Nick Hanauer, rebutted a popular argument made by the opposition, that I-1098 would drive business away from Washington State. The “1098 is anti-business” sentiment has been shared by The Spokesman-Review, The Wenatchee World, The Seattle Times and a laundry list of special interest… Continue reading »

Earlier this month, King 5′s Ad Watch took a closer look at a Stop the Food and Beverage Tax Hikes TV commercial that claims the state legislature increased taxes on chili and blueberry pancakes. Their findings? False. In their analysis, King 5′s Robert Mak explains:

Liquor privatization opponent group Protect Our Communities claims that both I-1100 and I-1105 would lead to an increase in underage drinking because  “deregulation creates an incentive to sell more alcohol which means more access for teens and more high-risk and underage drinking.” Seattle’s weekly newspaper The Stranger disagrees, offering a comparison with California as rebuttal: [L]et’s… Continue reading »

In an ad opposing I-1100 and I-10105,Washington wine maker Darby English claims that both initiatives will “make it more difficult for small wineries like mine to compete. And it will allow big retail corporations to push our products off the shelf.” We think the claim lacks merit. Darby may be alluding to slotting fees, “payments made… Continue reading »

According to a Yes on 1107 television ad, the State of Washington is currently imposing a tax on grocery items – not just candy, soda and bottled water – including foods made of meats, fruits and vegetables. According to the Seattle Times, this ad is very misleading about what is classified as a food or… Continue reading »

There are claims that the insurance industry is funding the campaign for Initiative 1082, which would privatize the state’s worker’s comp system.  The I-1082 campaign states that the initiative was written by a well-respected constitutional lawyer at the behest of small businesses, but does not address the funding accusation. My research, primarily from the Public… Continue reading »

Proponents of a constitutional amendment limiting access to bail argue that it would prevent future tragedies like the Maurice Clemmons killing spree that left four Lakewood police officers dead in November 2009. This constitutional amendment would authorize Washington courts to deny bail for offenses punishable by the possibility of life in prison, where there is… Continue reading »

One of the major sticking points for the Yes on 1107 camp is calling the soda, bottled water and candy tax passed by the legislature, a tax on “food.” The coalition is doing so based on the definition the state of Washington uses to decide what is and what is not candy. Candy is a… Continue reading »

Opponents of both liquor initiatives (I-1100 and I-1105) claim that the measures would negatively impact local communities by making liquor more available because there will be significantly more stores selling hard alcohol than there is today. The claim is potentially true.

On June 11, 2010, Bill Gates, Sr. said on YesOn1098.com that voters’ passage of I-1098 would provide “a stable, dedicated funding source for education and health care.” Initiative opponents claim that “the legislature can spend the funds however it wants.” The opposition claim is partially true. On February 25, 2010, Secretary of State Sam Reed’s office confirmed that… Continue reading »

The VoteNo1107 committee claims that Initiative 1107 is the product of the American Beverage Association, a D.C.-based lobbyist for the big soda companies. According to Vote No 1107: The American Beverage Association has poured more than $14 million into the 1107 campaign and is on track to set a record as the most expensive initiative campaign… Continue reading »

Defeat 1098 has put together a list of ‘facts’ (identified as ‘facts’ in its navigation, but listed as ‘reasons’ on the dedicated page) as to why voters should rally against I-1098. Its first claim: We can’t trust the politicians in Olympia with an income tax. If this state income tax on ‘the rich’ is passed,… Continue reading »

One of the main differences between I-1100 and I-1105 is the way in which they deal with the liquor excise tax. According to Spokane’s Spokesman Review: “Initiative 1105 would end the markup and the excise tax,” while “Initiative 1100 would end the state’s markup but retain the excise tax.” Proponents of I-1105 argue that even… Continue reading »

According to Elway Poll, Washington state voters are split on I-1082:  31 percent of voters are in favor, 31 percent oppose the initiative and 38 percent are undecided. The Insurance Journal also reports that the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Washington supports the passage of I-1082 and has raised more than $300,000 for the… Continue reading »

That’s the claim made by the Defeat 1098 campaign in an TV ad (YouTube) that began airing in September. According to this analysis from the Seattle Times the ad is “half true” because it leaves out key information about who will be paying the tax and how the claim was developed.

Looking for background on the 2010 election? Check out these voter guides: King County Elections Living Voters Guide Progressive Voters Guide Washington Policy Center Washington Secretary of State TVW Video Voters Guide

In the 2010 election, there are six Initiatives To The People and three referenda on the ballot. The six initiatives are a form of direct democracy: I-1053: Concerning tax and fee increases imposed by state government. I-1082: Concerning industrial insurance. I-1098: Concerning establishing a state income tax and reducing other taxes. I-1100: Concerning liquor (beer, wine and spirits). I-1105: Concerning… Continue reading »