Passed by the House February 11, 2006 Yeas 96   ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 6, 2006 Yeas 46   ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Richard Nafziger, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 4223 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
Approved ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | Secretary of State State of Washington |
State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2006 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/23/2006. Referred to Committee on Finance.
BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:
THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the
secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state
for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to
Article VII, section 1 of the Constitution of the state of Washington
to read as follows:
Article VII, section 1. The power of taxation shall never be
suspended, surrendered or contracted away. All taxes shall be uniform
upon the same class of property within the territorial limits of the
authority levying the tax and shall be levied and collected for public
purposes only. The word "property" as used herein shall mean and
include everything, whether tangible or intangible, subject to
ownership. All real estate shall constitute one class: Provided, That
the legislature may tax mines and mineral resources and lands devoted
to reforestation by either a yield tax or an ad valorem tax at such
rate as it may fix, or by both. Such property as the legislature may
by general laws provide shall be exempt from taxation. Property of the
United States and of the state, counties, school districts and other
municipal corporations, and credits secured by property actually taxed
in this state, not exceeding in value the value of such property, shall
be exempt from taxation. The legislature shall have power, by
appropriate legislation, to exempt personal property to the amount of
((three)) fifteen thousand ((($3,000.00))) ($15,000.00) dollars for
each head of a family liable to assessment and taxation under the
provisions of the laws of this state of which the individual is the
actual bona fide owner.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause
notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four
times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal
newspaper in the state.