Washington Initiative 40 and Alternative Measure 40B, Regulation of Litter Measure (1972)

Washington Initiative 40 and Alternative Measure 40B
Election date November 7, 1972
Topic Environment
Status Approved
Type Indirect initiated state statute	Origin Citizens

Washington Initiative 40 and Alternative Measure 40B were on the ballot in Washington on November 7, 1972. Initiative 40 was a citizen-initiated measure. Alternative Measure 40B was placed on the ballot by the Washington State Legislature as an alternative measure.

Voters approved the first question and selected Alternative Measure 40B rather than the proposed initiative. Sponsors of the initiative advocated for the adoption of the legislature's alternative.

Voters were asked to vote For Either or Against Both of the measures.

A "yes" supported adopting either Initiative 40 or Alternative Measure 40B to provide for regulating litter disposal and creating penalties and fines for littering.

A "no" vote opposed adopting Initiative 40 or Alternative Measure 40B.

Voters were then asked to choose which measure they preferred: Initiative 40 or Alternative Measure 40B.

Voting for Initiative 40 supported implementing Initiative 40, which was designed to regulate litter disposal, establish the ecology patrol, and provide penalties and fines for littering.

Voting for Alternative Measure 40B supported implementing the state legislature's proposed alternative measure, which was designed to regulate litter disposal and establish a litter control account within the general fund, and provide penalties and fines for littering.

Election results

For Either/Against Both:

Washington Initiative 40 and Alternative Measure 40B
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		788,151	65.30%
No		418,764	34.70%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Initiative 40/Alternative Measure 40B:

Washington Initiative 40 and Alternative Measure 40B (1972)
Result		Votes	Percentage
d Initiative 40		194,128	19.55%
a Alternative Measure 40B		798,931	80.45%

Election results via: Washington Secretary of State

Text of measure

Ballot title

“

NOTE: Voter entitled to mark preference even though voting against both (to indicate which measure is the lesser objectionable). Preference vote will have no significance unless the majority of the voters mark their ballots as "FOR EITHER."

”

Initiative 40:

“

An ACT regulating litter disposal; directing the Department of Ecology to administer its provisions and to promulgate necessary rules and regulations; establishing an ecology patrol with powers of enforcement; providing penalties and fines for littering; stating that littering from a moving vehicle is a moving violation; requiring litter receptacles marked with antilitter symbols or logos to be placed in designated public places; and providing that administration of the act shall be financed in substantial part by assessments levied against manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of goods, containers or wrappers which are reasonably related to the litter problem.

”

Alternative Measure 40B:

“

An ACT regulating litter disposal; directing the Department of Ecology to administer its provisions and to promulgate necessary regulations; authorizing the Director to designate departmental employees to enforce the act in addition to other law enforcement officers; providing penalties and fines for littering; requiring litter receptacles marked with anti-litter symbols to be placed in designated public places; establishing a litter control account in the general fund; and providing that administration of the act shall be financed in substantial part by assessments levied against manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of goods, containers or wrappers which are reasonably related to the litter problem.

”

Full text

The full text is available here.

Path to the ballot

Initiative to the Legislature (ITL) process

See also: Initiative to the Legislature (Washington) and Washington State Constitution, Section 1 of Article II

An Initiative to the Legislature is the name of indirect initiated state statutes in the state of Washington. An indirect initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are nine (9) states that allow citizens to initiate indirect state statutes.

While a direct initiative is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiative is first presented to the state legislature. Legislators have a certain number of days, depending on the state, to adopt the initiative into law. Should legislators take no action or reject the initiative, the initiative is put on the ballot for voters to decide.

In Washington, the Legislature has three options regarding Initiatives to the Legislature:

• (1) The Legislature can adopt an Initiative to the Legislature, in which case the initiative is enacted into law without a vote of electors;
• (2) The Legislature can reject or not act on the initiative, in which case the initiative is placed on the ballot at the next state general election; or
• (3) The Legislature can approve an alternative to the proposed initiative, in which case both the original proposal and the legislative alternative are placed on the ballot at the next state general election.

Details about this initiative

Sponsor Irving B. Stimpson of the Washington Committee to Stop Litter filed 141,228 signatures for the initiative on August 20, 1970. The measure was certified to the legislature on January 29, 1971. The legislature passed Alternative Measure 40B rather than Stimpson's Measure 40. As required by the state constitution, both measures were placed on the ballot as competing measures.

See also

Suggest a link

• Washington 1972 ballot measures
• 1972 ballot measures
• List of Washington ballot measures

External links

• State of Washington ballot measure election results
• State of Washington 1972 Voters Pamphlet & Local Voters Pamphlet
• List of all State of Washington Initiatives to the Legislature