Our initiatives requiring a 2/3 vote to raise taxes shows how committed we are.

Tues, Sept 10, 2024

To: Our thousands of supporters throughout the state
(cc’d to the media, house & senate members, and Governor, and other candidates for office)

From: Tim Eyman
Fighting for taxpayers for 27 years

Here is an exceptional illustration of our commitment to protecting taxpayers.

INITIATIVE 601 IN 1993

In 1993, voters overwhelmingly passed Initiative 601 which, among other things, required a 2/3 vote of the legislature to raise taxes.

It worked for a decade.

But in 2005, the first bill that Gregoire signed into law suspended 601.

For the next 2 years, Olympia went on a tax-hiking rampage.

INITIATIVE 960 IN 2007

So we sponsored an initiative to reinstate the 2/3 vote requirement for the legislature to raise taxes.

Despite being radically outspent by opponents, we scored a huge victory when voters overwhelmingly passed it.

Opponents sued to overturn it.

The supreme court unanimously REJECTED their lawsuit.

In 2008 and 2009, despite near-supermajority control of the House and Senate, Gregoire and the Democrats didn’t raise a single tax.

Why?

Because the 2/3 stopped them.

In 2010, the first bill that Gregoire signed into law suspended the 2/3.

I was there for the bill signing:

INITIATIVE 1053 IN 2010

In response, we went ahead with a new initiative to reinstate the 2/3.

I was so committed to the initiative’s success that I took out a 2nd mortgage and loaned $250,000 to kick-start the signature drive.

With a lot of help from a lot of people, and because of that early infusion of money, we got it qualified for the ballot.

In November 2010, voters overwhelmingly passed it.

Despite being $250,000 in debt, I was darn happy with this victory:

No tax hikes were imposed in 2011 and 2012.

INITIATIVE 1185 IN 2012

To make sure the Democrats couldn’t suspend it again, in 2012, we sponsored an initiative to reinforce the 2/3.

In November 2012, our 2/3 initiative passed in all 39 counties, including King.

It got nearly 1.9 million votes — the most in state history.

We were set to pass it every 2 years and protect ourselves forever from Olympia’s insatiable tax appetite.

But then the state supreme court reversed 20 years of legal precedent and struck down the 2/3, saying for the first time that such a requirement needed a constitutional amendment.

Undeterred, we moved full steam ahead with a 2/3 For Taxes Constitutional Amendment Initiative.

INITIATIVE 1366 IN 2015

After a couple years of trying, in 2015, I once again took out a 2nd mortgage and loaned $250,000 to kickstart the signature drive for this new 2/3 initiative.

All of us worked really hard and got it qualified it for the ballot.

And the voters overwhelmingly passed it too.

But the state supreme court said it wasn’t clear what the voters wanted and blocked it.

SENATE RULE IN 2016 

In response, Mike Baumgartner led the Republicans in the state senate to pass a formal Senate Rule requiring a 2/3 vote for any tax increase.

Baumgartner’s Senate Rule protected us for several more years.

I’m still here and I’m still fighting.

I ask you to please help me get the AG’s ridiculously unconstitutional ruling overturned.

Please donate TODAY:

Mail your check to:
Tim Eyman Legal Defense Fund
17404 Meridian Ave E #F PMB 176
Puyallup, WA, 98375

Or donate online:
By GiveSendGo (credit/debit card)
By Paypal (donate using PayPal or using a credit/debit card)

Our continued success has only been possible thanks to the prayers and support of wonderful friends like you.

Thank you for helping me and my family survive the AG’s persecution over the past 12 years.

I love you all.

Onward!

Tim Eyman

You can call or text me anytime: 509-991-5295

You can email me anytime: Tim@TimDefense.com
(I can’t access my old email addresses — so only use this one)

For more details on this, go to: TimDefense.com