Washington Initiative 43 and Alternative Measure 43B, Shoreline Use and Development Measure (1972)

Washington Initiative 43 and Alternative Measure 43B
Election date November 7, 1972
Topic Environment
Status Approved
Type Indirect initiated state statute	Origin Citizens

Washington Initiative 43 and Alternative Measure 43B were on the ballot in Washington on November 7, 1972. Initiative 43 was a citizen-initiated measure. Alternative Measure 43B was placed on the ballot by the Washington State Legislature as an alternative measure.

Voters approved the first question and selected Initiative 43 instead of the legislature's proposed alternative.

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

A "yes" vote supported adopting either Initiative 43 or Alternative Measure 43B to provide for regulating the use and development of shoreline areas.

A "no" vote opposed adopting either Initiative 43 or Alternative Measure 43B.

Voters were then asked to choose which measure they preferred: Initiative 43 or Alternative Measure 43B.

Voting for Initiative 43 supported implementing Initiative 43, which was designed to regulate use and development of shoreline areas including lands located within 200 feet of the ordinary high water mark and create a shoreline management program.

Voting for Alternative Measure 43B supported implementing the state legislature's proposed alternative measure, which was designed to regulate use and development of shoreline areas including lands located within 500 feet of the ordinary high water mark and create a shoreline management plan that considered conservation, recreation, economic development and public access

Election results

For Either/Against Both:

Washington Initiative 43 and Alternative Measure 43B
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		603,167	52.25%
No		551,132	47.75%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Initiative 43/Alternative Measure 43B:

Washington Initiative 43 and Alternative Measure 43B (1972)
Result		Votes	Percentage
d 43		285,721	31.84%
a 43B		611,748	68.16%

Election results via: Washington Secretary of State

Text of measure

Ballot title

The language that appeared on the ballot regarding the competing measures:

“

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 43:

“

AN ACT relating to the use and development of certain salt and fresh water shoreline areas including lands located within 200 feet of the ordinary high water mark and certain other adjacent designated wetlands; establishing an integrated program of shoreline management between state and local governments; requiring local governments, pursuant to guidelines established by the state department of ecology, to develop master programs for regulating shoreline uses and providing that if they do not the department will develop and adopt such programs; granting the state's consent to certain existing impairments of public navigational rights; and providing civil and criminal sanctions.

”

Alternative Measure 43B:

“

AN ACT relating to the use and development of salt and fresh water shoreline areas, including lands located within 500 feet of ordinary high tide or high water and certain wetlands; requiring the State Ecological Commission, with the advice of regional citizens councils, to adopt a state-wide regulatory plan for these areas; requiring cities and counties to adopt plans to regulate shoreline areas not covered by the state plan; requiring both local and state-wide plans to be based upon considerations of conservation, recreation, economic development and public access; and providing both civil and criminal remedies for violations of the act.

”

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

The Washington Environmental Council filed 160,421 signatures for the initiative on December 31, 1970. The measure was certified to the legislature on January 29, 1971. The legislature passed Alternative Measure 44B rather than WEC'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