BILL REQ. #:  S-0608.1 

Read first time 01/15/09.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     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 of the Constitution of the state of Washington by adding a new section to read as follows:

     Article VII, section .... (1) A tax increase may be imposed only by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature.
     (2) For the purposes of this section, "tax" means a charge imposed on a person, property, or transaction for the general support of government.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, "tax increase" includes, but is not limited to, a new tax, a monetary increase in an existing tax, a tax rate increase, an expansion in the legal definition of a tax base, and an extension of an expiring tax.
     (4) This section does not apply to:
     (a) A tax that must be used exclusively for highway purposes under Article II, section 40 of this Constitution; or
     (b) A tax that is enacted pursuant to an emergency previously declared in law with the favorable vote of two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature and that expires not later than twelve months after the effective date of the emergency declaration. The law declaring the emergency must state the nature of the emergency.

     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.