OLYMPIA, Wash. — Voters will decide the fate of six initiatives in November.
The Republican-backed initiatives include measures to repeal the state’s climate act, end the collection of capital gains taxes on the state’s highest earners, and remove restrictions on police pursuits.
Those who signed petitions for the initiatives want legislators to act on them during the current session, which ends March 7.
But House Majority Leader, Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-West Seattle, said Democrats, who control the majority in the House and Senate, have not decided if the issues will be brought up during the session.
Fitzgibbon said regardless of what the legislature does, he and his fellow Democrats will be working to let voters know what passing the initiatives would mean to the state.
”I think we will spend, probably the better part of this year, talking to our constituents about why a capital gains tax is helping resource our student financial aid programs and expansion of childcare across our state, and how the Climate Commitment Act is improving air quality and salmon recovery and traffic safety across our state.”
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Grays Harbor County, spoke at a rally of about 200 initiative backers Wednesday afternoon on the Capitol steps.
”The Washington State Constitution, in Article 2, Section 1, talks about the tools that the people of the State of Washington have for fixing what’s broken. The founders of this state, they anticipated times like these,” said Walsh.
Also in Olympia this past week, Representative Debra Lekanoff revealed she is in recovery from an addiction to alcohol.
Lekanoff said after drinking heavily most of her life, she has been sober for seven months.
”I'm a fresh recovering addict who came out of recovery just a few months ago. I don't think I would have stepped into recovery and continued the work I'm doing today unless I realized I wasn't alone,” said Lekanoff, D-Bow.
Lekanoff, one of the few Native American legislators in state history, passed bills during her six years in helping salmon recovery and celebrating Native American heritage and rights.
But this session she is focusing on addiction and recovery.
She is sponsoring legislation to offer state support to those in recovery.
Lekanoff said she hopes speaking out about her personal struggles will inspire others.
“I'm sitting here in the state legislature recognizing and understanding that I can rise above that stereotype, that stigma of being Native American, that stigma and stereotype of being an addict,” said Lekanoff.