BILL REQ. #:  H-0149.3 

Read first time 01/24/13.   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 must 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) Any action or combination of actions by the legislature that raises taxes may be taken only if approved by at least two-thirds legislative approval in both the house of representatives and the senate; however, a simple majority is sufficient if the legislature refers the action or actions to the voters for their approval or rejection at an election.
     (2) For the purposes of this section, "raises taxes" means any action or combination of actions by the legislature that increases state tax revenue.
     (3) This section does not apply to any action or combination of actions that raises taxes if done 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 must 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.