List of Washington State veto referendums

Ballot measures in Washington State Constitutional amendments Initiatives to the People Initiatives to the Legislature Statutes referred by Legislature Veto referendums Political topics on the ballot Laws • History

This page is a list of Washington referendum measures, also known commonly as veto referenda.

Background

In 1912, citizens in Washington approved the right to initiative and referendum by a 71 to 29 percent split.

The first referendum, regarding a law that would create a Teachers’ Retirement Fund, went to the ballot on the November 3, 1914 ballot, and was defeated alongside Washington's second referendum.

Since that beginning, through June of 2012 on the ballot, 74 referendum measures have been proposed. However, only 37 have been sent to the ballots.

Legend:

d means that an act of the Washington State Legislature was overturned.
a means that an act of the legislature was ratified.

2012

See also: Washington 2012 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description
VR	Referendum 74	Marriage and family	Would ask if same-sex marriage should be legalized in the state.

2009

See also: Washington 2009 ballot measures

{Between 2007-2009, Referendum Measures 68, 69 and 70 were registered, but no signatures were turned in to qualify them for the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 71	Marriage	Expansion of domestic partnership rights	a

2007

See also: Washington 2007 ballot measures

(Between 2004-2007, supporters of Referendum Measures 56-66 either did not turn in signatures, withdrew their measures, or bumped into the emergency clause and, as a result, none of these measures went on the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 67	Health	Insurers prohibited from unreasonably denying certain coverage claims.	a

2004

See also: Washington 2004 ballot measures

(Supporters of Referendum 54 did not turn in any signatures to qualify their measure for the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	R-55	Education	Authorize charter public schools and set conditions on operations	d

2002

See also: Washington 2002 ballot measures

(Between 1995 and 2002, supporters of Referendum Measures 49, 50, 51 and 52 did not submit signatures, or withdrew their measures.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	R-53	Labor	Increase taxable wage base for unemployment insurance, impose surcharges	d

1995

See also: Washington 1995 ballot measures

(Between 1986 and 1995, supporters of Referendum Measures 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47 did not submit signatures and therefore, none of these measures qualified for the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Land Use, R-48	Property	Should Chapter 98, Laws of 1995, concerning land use regulations be upheld?	d

1984

See also: Washington 1984 ballot measures

A court ordered a writ of prohibition to prevent Referendum 41 from appearing on the November, 1984 election ballot.

1977

See also: Washington 1977 ballot measures

(Supporters of Referenda 37 and 38 did not submit signatures to qualify their measures for the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 39	Elections	Changes in voter registration laws	d
VR	Referendum 40	Admin of gov't	Establish a state Women's Commission	d

1973

See also: Washington 1973 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 36	Alcohol	Lower drinking age from 21 to 19	d

1968

See also: Washington 1968 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 35	Business Regulation	Real estate brokers prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, creed, color or national origin	a

1964

J&M Cafe and Cardroom

See also: Washington 1964 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 34	Gambling	Regulation of Cardrooms and Bingo	d

1962

See also: Washington 1962 ballot measures

(Supporters of Referendum 31 submitted signatures, but these were found to be insufficient for ballot qualification.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 32	Business Regulation	Declared to be for the protection of the health and welfare of the public, and for the purpose of maintaining stability and properity in the milk industry, and authorizing and providing procedures for the Director of Agriculture	d
VR	Referendum 33	Public Finance	Relating to auditing the accounts and financial affairs of cities and towns	d

1958

See also: Washington 1958 ballot measures

(Supporters of Referendum 29 did not submit signatures to qualify their measure for the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 30	Taxes	Inheritance Tax on Insurance Proceeds	d

1950

See also: Washington 1950 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 28	Health Care	Accident and health insurance covering employees eligible for unemployment compensation	d

1946

See also: Washington 1946 ballot measures

(Supporters of Referenda 26 and 27 did not submit signatures to qualify their measures for the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 26	Hunting	Appointment of Game Commissioners	d
VR	Referendum 27	Natural Resources	State Timber Resources Board	d

1944

See also: Washington 1944 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 25	Utilities	Public Utility Districts	d

1942

See also: Washington 1942 ballot measures

(Supporters of Referenda 19, 20 and 21 did not submit signatures to qualify their measures for the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 22	Business Regulation	Industrial Insurance	a
VR	Referendum 23	Judicial Reform	Legal Advisor for Grand Juries	d
VR	Referendum 24	Judicial Reform	Prosecuting Attorneys Act	d

1934

See also: Washington 1934 ballot measures

(Supporters of Referendum 17 did not submit signatures to qualify their measure for the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 18	Energy	Electric Energy for Cities and Town	a

1924

See also: Washington 1924 ballot measures

Shelves of butter substitutes

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 16	Business Regulation	Butter Substitutes	d

1922

See also: Washington 1922 ballot measures

(Supporters of Measures 11, 12A, 13A and 14A did not submit signatures to qualify their referenda for the ballot.)

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 12B	Business Regulation	Certificate of Necessity Act	d
VR	Referendum 13B	Education	Physical Examination of School Children	d
VR	Referendum 14B	Elections and Campaigns	Primary Nominations and Registration	d
VR	Referendum 15	Elections	Party Conventions	d

1918

See also: Washington 1918 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 10	Alcohol	Bone Dry Act	a

1916

See also: Washington 1916 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Referendum 3	Direct democracy	Initiative Laws	d
VR	Referendum 4	Elections	Recall of Elected Officer	d
VR	Referendum 5	Elections	Party Conventions Act	d
VR	Referendum 6	Labor	Anti-Picketing Act	d
VR	Referendum 7	Admin of gov't	Certificate of Necessity Act	d
VR	Referendum 8	Transportation	Port Commission Act	d
VR	Referendum 9	State Budgets	Budget System Act	d

1914

See also: Washington 1914 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
VR	Teacher Retirement, R-1	Education	Retirement fund for teachers	d
VR	Quincy Valley Irrigation, R-2	Admin of gov't	Public irrigation system for Quincy Valley	d

See also

• veto referendum
• List of Washington State Initiatives to the People
• List of Washington State Initiatives to the Legislature
• List of Washington ballot measures

External links

• History of State of Washington veto referendum measures