NEWS ADVISORY

February 18, 2005

Make it easier to pass school levies?

OLYMPIA—State representatives are expected to decide Monday whether or not to undo the supermajority (60 percent-plus) requirement to pass school levies. A two-thirds vote is required since the supermajority requirement is part of the state constitution. If the measure (HJR 4205) passes both the House and Senate, it will move to the general ballot in November.

If approved, HJR 4205 would also remove the constitutional requirement that at least 40 percent of the voters in the last general election turn out for the special levy elections.

The supermajority requirement was established as a safeguard for property owners, since levy dollars come from property taxes. Special elections are expensive and easy to manipulate when only a simplemajority is required.

The people who want to change the levy elections to a simplemajority argue that members of Congress and the legislature are elected with a simplemajority: So why not school levies? But those same people will not agree to move the levy election to November when Congress and state lawmakers run for office. Voter turnout is largest in November, and it would cost far less to put a levy election on the same ballot.

“If lawmakers and school officials want to pass levies with a simplemajority during ‘special’ elections alone, only property owners should vote during that election,” said Lynn Harsh, executive director of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. “Besides that, there is no good reason for making taxpayers foot the bill for two elections when one will suffice.

Contact: Marsha Richardson | Director, Education Reform Center | 360.956.3482

Evergreen Freedom Foundation P.O. Box 552, Olympia, WA 98507 Phone: (360) 956-3482, Fax: (360) 352-1874 Email: effwa@effwa.org