This Washington
Reuven Carlyle: Supermajority for Transit Spending Unacceptable
This post has been updated with comments from state Rep. Reuven Carlyle.
On his blog, state Rep. Reuven Carlyle writes that he's willing to sacrifice an emergency transit funding measure for King County Metro and Community Transit to make a point about Tim Eyman's Initiative 1053, which requires a supermajority legislative vote to raise taxes: Namely, that it shouldn't apply to local governments.
Calling the initiative "an unconstitutional, poorly designed and undemocratic restriction on the Legislature to responsibly manage the public's tax resources," Carlyle writes that he will introduce an amendment that would eliminate language requiring a two-thirds majority vote of the King and Snohomish County Councils to adopt emergency license fees to pay for transit.
[pullquote]"In my view, it is unacceptable for the Legislature to institute supermajority rules for local and county governments."[/pullquote]
Acknowledging that his amendment could result in the death of the bill, Carlyle writes, "The will of the people–expressed in initiative form–is one thing. Your Legislature passing a law, and a governor signing that law, placing a supermajority requirement on another level of government is an entirely different story.
"In my view, it is unacceptable for the Legislature to institute supermajority rules for local and county governments."
Carlyle goes on to quote an email he sent to fellow legislators. The sprawling letter, which cites James Madison, King Solomon, and PubliCola, calls the two-thirds requirement an "unprecedented, anti-democratic provision [that] would represent the Washington State Legislature’s formal endorsement of the philosophy and policies represented in I-1053 for local governments."
"While this legislation is vital to the financial health of public transit, and I am pained to potentially endanger the bill in the Senate, permanently opening the door to I-1053’s tyranny of the minority for local government is too high a price to pay."
Reached on the phone late yesterday, Carlyle said his major concern is whether an emergency transit funding bill would dampen King County's enthusiasm for a comprehensive transportation package in 2012. "I think the senate's intention is a successful 2012 package, and there's some concern that if there's a new car tab fee in 2011, it reduces the enthusiasm of the voters for a 2012 package," Carlyle said. While he agrees in principle with the need for "stopgap, emergency funding," Carlyle says "The question is, how do we get to yes."
In King County, it's unclear whether a measure that would pay for emergency transit funding would be able to secure a two-thirds vote, which would require the support of at least one council Republican.
On his blog, state Rep. Reuven Carlyle writes that he's willing to sacrifice an emergency transit funding measure for King County Metro and Community Transit to make a point about Tim Eyman's Initiative 1053, which requires a supermajority legislative vote to raise taxes: Namely, that it shouldn't apply to local governments.
Calling the initiative "an unconstitutional, poorly designed and undemocratic restriction on the Legislature to responsibly manage the public's tax resources," Carlyle writes that he will introduce an amendment that would eliminate language requiring a two-thirds majority vote of the King and Snohomish County Councils to adopt emergency license fees to pay for transit.
[pullquote]"In my view, it is unacceptable for the Legislature to institute supermajority rules for local and county governments."[/pullquote]
Acknowledging that his amendment could result in the death of the bill, Carlyle writes, "The will of the people–expressed in initiative form–is one thing. Your Legislature passing a law, and a governor signing that law, placing a supermajority requirement on another level of government is an entirely different story.
"In my view, it is unacceptable for the Legislature to institute supermajority rules for local and county governments."
Carlyle goes on to quote an email he sent to fellow legislators. The sprawling letter, which cites James Madison, King Solomon, and PubliCola, calls the two-thirds requirement an "unprecedented, anti-democratic provision [that] would represent the Washington State Legislature’s formal endorsement of the philosophy and policies represented in I-1053 for local governments."
"While this legislation is vital to the financial health of public transit, and I am pained to potentially endanger the bill in the Senate, permanently opening the door to I-1053’s tyranny of the minority for local government is too high a price to pay."
Reached on the phone late yesterday, Carlyle said his major concern is whether an emergency transit funding bill would dampen King County's enthusiasm for a comprehensive transportation package in 2012. "I think the senate's intention is a successful 2012 package, and there's some concern that if there's a new car tab fee in 2011, it reduces the enthusiasm of the voters for a 2012 package," Carlyle said. While he agrees in principle with the need for "stopgap, emergency funding," Carlyle says "The question is, how do we get to yes."
In King County, it's unclear whether a measure that would pay for emergency transit funding would be able to secure a two-thirds vote, which would require the support of at least one council Republican.
