Tues, Jan 27, 2026

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 29 years

Since 1999, 3 times the people have voted on our $30 car tabs initiatives.
         

Each of those initiatives created a law making taxes and fees above $30 ILLEGAL.

When there’s a vote in a democratic election, the way it’s supposed to work is the side that gets the most votes wins.

The last time we voted — in Nov 2019 — 1,055,749 voted yes and 936,751 voted no.

1.05 million is more than 936K.

So we won.
              

So the people — for the 3rd time — created a law making taxes and fees above $30 ILLEGAL.

But for the past 6 years, vehicle owners continue to be mailed yearly renewal bills that include those ILLEGAL taxes and fees.

Why?

Because 3 times our state’s thoroughly CORRUPT supreme court took went the Seattle Way and ruled the voters were “confused” (gimmee a break!).        
Why was their 3rd ruling especially corrupt?

1) When voters passed our 2nd $30 Tabs Initiative, the state supreme court’s ruling said they were not going to stop Sound Transit from collecting car tab taxes — even though the initiative had repealed them — because that initiative did not require Sound Transit to retire its bonds first (as long as car-tab-tax backed bonds existed, their car tab taxes couldn’t be repealed). So with our 3rd initiative, Initiative 976 in 2019, it explicitly required Sound Transit to retire any bonds backed by car tab taxes.

We did EXACTLY what they said we should have done before.

But instead of following their own precedent (their own instructions), they moved the goal post and said retiring bonds was not related to lowering car tab taxes, ruling that bond retirement was a 2nd subject. But retiring bonds HAD EVERYTHING TO DO with getting rid of Sound Transit’s car tab taxes (because, as they said in their earlier ruling), you’re not allowed to get rid of car tab taxes until the bonds are retired.

So they did a bait and switch — they cheated. That makes it illegitimate to me.

Here’s the 2nd reason their 3rd ruling was especially corrupt:

2) All laws — whether passed by the Legislature or passed by the voters — are PRESUMED LEGAL and there is supposed to be a very heavy burden on the opponents to show that THERE IS NO WAY TO READ THE LAW IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT CONSTITUTIONAL. The court is REQUIRED to bend-over-backwards to uphold a law — and if there’s a way to interpret it to find it legal, IT MUST DO SO.

Was there a way to do that with Initiative 976?

Yes.

How do I know that? Because the lower court judge — a King County judge, one who was actually appointed by Jay Inslee — analyzed the initiative’s language and made the self-evident determination that requiring Sound Transit to retire its bonds was completely related to, germane, had rational unity, and was part of the initiative’s single subject of “limiting vehicle taxes and fees.”
                             

 
From his ruling: ‘” … Section 12 of I-976 is a mechanism to avoid the unconstitutional flaw the Supreme Court identified in Pierce County II. … Section 12 is a necessary precursor to the repeal of (Sound Transit’s car tab) tax authority … Since Section 12 is necessary to implement Sections 10 and 11 (which repeal Sound Transit’s car tab tax), both of which are germane to the general subject of motor vehicle taxes and fees, Section 12 is likewise germane to the same general subject. … all of I-976’s provisions operate in a coordinated, conjunctive way to serve a unified legislative goal of repealing, reducing, or removing authority to impose motor vehicle fees and taxes. They are germane to each other and to I-976’s general subject. … Section 12 is necessary to achieve the repeal of the special (car tab tax) … as such, Section 12’s impact upon existing bonds is directly related to facilitating the tax repeals and reductions. … the Court concludes that Plaintiffs have failed to satisfy their burden of establishing, beyond a reasonable doubt, that I-976 violates the single-subject rule of Article II, section 19 of the Washington Constitution.”

So there was, in fact, a way to interpret the initiative as single subject and constitutional. That King County judge proved it.

But what did all 9 judges on the state supreme court do after they received this judge’s well-reasoned ruling? They acknowledged that Section 12 was needed to eliminate Sound Transit’s car tab taxes:

“Section 12 requires Sound Transit to retire early, defease, or refinance existing bonds … The initiative drafters may have been trying to avoid the impairment of contracts problems that was fatal to Initiative 776 (I-776) in Pierce County II. Sections 10 and 11 (that repeal Sound Transit’s car tab taxes) come into effect only if Sound Transit can lawfully retire, defease, or refinance the bonds.” (page 11)

Yet despite acknowledging this clear connection (again, that the lower court judge recognized and ruled in favor of), they went on to ignore it:

“Section 12, which requires Sound Transit to retire, defease, or refinance bonds, is not germane (related) to limiting vehicle taxes and fees … section 12 is an unconstitutional second subject.” (page 16).

So this corrupt state supreme court stole our vote which has allowed the Legislature to steal BILLIONS OF DOLLARS of taxpayer money THAT WE WERE LEGALLY ENTITLED TO NOT PAY by continuing to impose taxes and fees above $30.

Why am I recapping this history?

To explain why I testified yesterday against a bill that’ll make it easier for law enforcement to ticket people for expired tabs.

Click here to watch my 60 second testimony against it (can you tell I was pissed?):

Instead of listening to us, they’re putting the screws to us.

For 6 years, I’ve been engaging in — and encouraging others to join me — a peaceful political protest by refusing to renew their car tabs.

I still refuse to renew.

I urge you to do the same.

As always, I welcome your feedback.

For 29 years, I’ve been fighting for the people of our state and our nation. 

Here’s THE ONLY REASON Bob Ferguson is trying so hard to impose a lifetime ban on all my future political activity:

I urge you to help me fight back against his abuse of power by donating to the Tim Eyman Legal Defense Fund so Richard Sanders and the Pacific Legal Foundation can get the AG’s ridiculously unconstitutional ruling overturned.

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)

The only reason I’m still here and I’m still fighting is because of the prayers, love, and support of wonderful friends like you who’ve seen this gross injustice and are willing to help.

I love you all.

Onward!

Tim 

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

You can email me anytime: Tim@TimDefense.com

For more details, go to: TimDefense.com