Council urges residents to reject three GOP-led ballot initiatives this November
Sammamish City Council passed resolutions opposing three GOP-backed ballot initiatives during their Oct. 1 meeting.
The council urged residents to reject initiatives 2066, 2109 and 2117. Each resolution was passed by a 5-1 vote, with Councilmember Kent Treen the lone dissenter to all three resolutions. Councilmember Karen Howe was absent from the meeting.
Ballot initiatives are proposed laws that voters can approve or reject directly. If an initiative receives a majority of the vote, it is enacted into law.
I-2066 would prohibit state and local governments from restricting or discouraging the use of natural gas. Councilmember Lam, during the council meeting, said that I-2066 will hinder the city’s efforts to phase out greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to address climate change.
“I believe that we need to continue moving towards using renewables to reduce GHG emissions,” said Lam. “We need to continue discouraging the use of natural gas in buildings and in new construction in order to meet our climate targets.”
I-2109 aims to repeal an existing state capital gains tax for gains over $250,000 per year. Capital gains are profits on the sale of properties and investments.
Councilmember Pam Stuart said the capital gains tax funds programs that benefit residents in Sammamish.
“This tax revenue is funding our K through 12 programs and particularly in the early childhood areas where there’s been a huge public interest and a huge public outcry to have those programs,” Stuart said.
Councilmember Lam added that the capital gains tax only affects a small portion of Washington residents who are wealthy.
“We live in a state with the most regressive tax system in the entire country,” said Lam. “This is a progressive tax meaning that the people that can most afford to pay this tax will be paying it.”
Finally, I-2117 aims to repeal Washington’s Climate Commitment Act by ending the state’s carbon cap and trade program, which currently taxes CO2 emissions. It would also prohibit new programs that tax carbon emissions in the future.
Council members Stuart and Roisin O’Farrell both cited the state’s Climate Commitment Act as critical for supporting Sammamish’s own climate action goals.
“One of our top goals and priorities on this council is combating climate change,” Stuart said. “The Climate Commitment Act is critical to help disincentivize those who produce the most pollution.”
Councilmember Treen voted against all three resolutions.
“As a governing body, it really is not our place to take a lead role or even voice our opinions as a body to something that the people are bringing forward in the form of an initiative,” Treen said.
City Hall released a statement explaining its opposition to the three ballot initiatives after the council vote on Oct. 1.
