Washington Bone Dry Act, Referendum 10 (1918)

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

The Washington Bone Dry Act, Referendum 10 was on the November 5, 1918 ballot in the State of Washington as a veto referendum, where it ratified an act of the Washington State Legislature. The vote was considered a triumph for the prohibition movement.

Election results

Referendum 10
Result		Votes	Percentage
a Yes		96,100	63.89%
No		54,322	36.11%

A "yes" vote for a veto referendum is a vote in favor of the legislative act that those who collected signatures to force onto the ballot are hoping to overturn. A "no" vote is a vote against the legislative act that provoked the veto referendum.

In this case, Chapter 19, Laws of 1917 pertaining to the Bone Dry Act became law.

Background

Timeline

• 1916: Neighboring Oregon passed a bone dry law. It prohibited any importation of alcohol and ended the state's alcohol permitting system.
• January 8, 1917: The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of bone-dry laws.
• Early 1917: The Washington State Legislature considered HB 4, a bone-dry measure which would end the state's permitting system except for druggists and clergymen.
• HB 4 reached the floor of the legislature with help from the Women's Christian Temperance Union and The Grange.
• George Conger, president of the Anti-Saloon League (ASL) in Washington, thought things were moving too fast.
• A legislator moved to amend HB 4 to place it before the people for a statewide vote as a legislatively-referred state statute, but this amendment was rejected.
• The vote to pass HB 4 in the house was 75-18.
• Only three senators voted against it. All of them were "dry"s who only objected to the refusal to submit it to a popular vote.
• Gov. Lister signed the bill on February 19, 1917.
• The next day -- February 20, 1917 -- opponents of the Bone Dry Act filed notice that they would circulate a petition to attempt to overthrow HB 4 through a popular vote.
• While the petition was circulating, the federal government passed the Reed-Randall Bone Dry Act, which forbade permitting systems. Once this federal law passed, what happened with the Washington referendum was a moot point.

Alcohol on the Washington ballot

• Washington Beer and Wine Only Sold in State Liquor Stores, Initiative 13 (1948)
• Washington Beverage Container Deposit, Initiative 414 (1982)
• Washington Brewer's Bill, Initiative 24 (1916)
• Washington Brewers' Hotel Bill, Initiative 1A (1916)
• Washington Implied Consent for Driver Intoxication Tests, Initiative 242 (1968)
• Washington Intoxicating Liquor Act, Initiative 61 (1932)
• Washington Liquor State Licensing, Initiative 1183 (2011)
• Washington Liquor by the Drink With Restrictions, Initiative 171 (1948)
• Washington Minimum Drinking Age Act, Referendum 36 (1973)
• Washington Privatization of Liquor Sales, Initiative 261 (1972)
• Washington Privatize Liquor Distribution, Initiative 1100 (2010)
• Washington Repeal of Sunday Blue Laws, Initiative 229 (1966)
• Washington Restriction of Television Advertising for Alcohol, Initiative 194 (1954)
• Washington Revise State Liquor Laws, Initiative 1105 (2010)
• Washington Spirituous Liquor Licenses for Taverns, Initiative 205 (1960)
• Washington Statewide Prohibition Act, Initiative 3 (1914)

See also

• Washington 1918 ballot measures
• List of Washington State veto referenda
• List of Washington ballot measures
• 1918 ballot measures
• List of ballot measures by year
• List of ballot measures by state

Suggest a link

External links

• History of State of Washington veto referendum measures
• Washington 1918 Election Results
• Washington 1918 Voter Guide
• Prohibition in Washington State

References

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