News and perspective on public policy issues affecting Washington's economy and quality of life, brought to you by the Economic Opportunity Institute.
In a 6-3 decision this morning, the Washington State Supreme Court struck down the rule requiring a supermajority (two-thirds) vote of the legislature to pass taxes or close tax loopholes. The court found the measure, long backed by initiative promoter Tim Eyman, violates the state constitution’s “plain language” that “prohibits either the people or the […]
Every student learns the American mantra from their teachers and parents: work hard, play by the rules, and you’ll have a chance to get ahead. This month’s crop of graduating high school seniors is powerful evidence that Washington’s students do step up to their responsibilities. But we (voters and legislators alike) have defaulted on our […]
“No bill shall become a law unless on its final passage the vote be taken by yeas and nays, …and a majority of the members elected to each house be recorded thereon as voting in its favor.” That quote is directly from Washington’s Constitution, and was key to a recent court ruling that found Initiative 1053 […]
We have a lot of public heroes. We tend to think of the firefighters, EMTs and police who arrive at an accident, save lives, care for the injured, and clean up the mess. But we often ignore some lower profile public heroes, who we literally depend on for the health of our community. You can […]
