H-5261.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 4223
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State of Washington 56th Legislature 2000 1st Special Session
By Representatives Thomas, Cairnes, Talcott, Sump, Wensman, Ericksen, Pflug, Schindler, Delvin, Lisk, Mastin, DeBolt, McDonald, B. Chandler, Mielke, D. Sommers, Pennington, Boldt, Barlean, Esser, Ballasiotes, G. Chandler, Huff, Clements, Buck, Carrell, Lambert, Campbell, Woods, Fortunato, D. Schmidt, Mulliken, Benson and Morris
Read first time 03/21/2000. Referred to Committee on .
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) Any tax increase imposed by the state shall require voter approval.
(2) For the purposes of this section, "tax" means a charge imposed on a person, property, or transaction for the general funding of government without any direct connection between the amount charged and the benefit received.
(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) For the purposes of this section, "state" includes, but is not limited to, the state and all its departments and agencies, any city, county, special district, and other political subdivision or governmental instrumentality of or within the state.
(5) This section does not apply to any specific emergency measure authorized by vote of two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature and expiring not later than twelve months from the effective date of the emergency act.
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.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That if the supreme court of the state of Washington rules in a final decision, that section 2 of Initiative Measure No. 695 is constitutional, this amendment shall not be submitted to the voters of the state.
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