Testimony To Washington State Legislature supporting ESSB 5082 – encouraging electoral participation and making ballots more meaningful by abolishing advisory votes
As written Advisory votes are really an anti tax, anti revenue push poll on Washington state ballots. The ballot format was written by Tim Eyman as a means to influence public opinion and promote his anti-tax initiative business.
All other ballot measures are written by the Washington State Attorney General’s office. The ballot title is meant summarize what the public is voting on. It is not supposed to present a bias one way or another.
Yet Eyman’s ballot language starts with “the legislature imposed, without a vote of the people” is hardly an unbiased or neutral statement.
“costing _____ over 10 years” likewise is meant to inflate what is happening. State budgets are two year budgets, not ten year budgets.
“for government spending” likewise insinuating that anything the government does is bad.
No other state has advisory votes on their ballots. End these push polls on our ballots. They mislead and misinform the public in what they are voting on. They do not repeal any legislation. That is what referendums are for
