GOP Loses Suit to Reject Fiscal Impact Messaging on Initiatives

On Thursday, the GOP took a major hit in Washington state.

The state Republican Party was trying to block the state from being able to publish financial impact statements on three different ballot initiatives in the upcoming election.

The court rejected the bid.

Denied

The three initiatives on the ballot are “Initiative 2109, to repeal the state’s capital gains tax; Initiative 2117, to repeal the 2021 Climate Commitment Act and its cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and Initiative 2124, to make participation in the WA Cares long-term care insurance program optional rather than mandatory.”

The challenge to the report was brought by Washington State Republican Party Chair Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen).

Walsh claims that the Office of Financial Management was in error when it calculated the impact of repealing the measures.

The court denied the case, explaining, “Mandamus and prohibition are available in highly limited circumstances that have not been shown here.

“We affirm the trial court’s denial of prohibition and mandamus relief and dismissal of this case.”

Walsh pushed back after the ruling, stating, “They said we mislabeled a filing, and they criticized our form of pleading.”

He continued, “This is not a profile in courage; they didn’t consider any of the substance of what we said. They tell you you’re in the wrong line, you have to go get in the other line.”

Walsh continued to go off on the court for dismissing the case over a technicality, but whose fault is that, really?

Why was the filing not properly reviewed to make sure it was done correctly? That would be my question.

Walsh stated that he plans on refiling the suit after the election, adding, “They indicated if we put the right form on the filing, then they would consider the merits of the case, so okay, we’ll go to the other line.”