Washington Referendum 25, Formation of Joint Public Utility Districts Measure (1944)

Washington Referendum 25
Election date November 7, 1944
Topic Utility policy
Status Defeated
Type Veto referendum	Origin Citizens

Washington Referendum 25 was on the ballot as a veto referendum in Washington on November 7, 1944. It was defeated.

A “yes” vote was to uphold the law allowing public utility district (PUD) commissions that are serviced by the same private power company to form joint commissions to acquire the entire power system.

A “no” vote was to repeal the law allowing public utility district (PUD) commissions that are serviced by the same private power company to form joint commissions to acquire the entire power system.

Election results

Washington Referendum 25
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		297,919	44.40%
No		373,051	55.60%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Referendum 25 was as follows:

“

An act pertaining to public power resources and public utilities and acquisition and operation thereof by certain public authorities and municipal corporations; authorizing public utility district commissioners to create joint commissions; relating to composition, government, powers, funds, business and properties thereof; applying certain public utility district laws thereto; empowering them to acquire electrical properties solely by issuing revenue bonds and warrants; requiring deposit of funds with State Treasurer and audit of accounts by State Auditor; taxing their operations instead of property; permitting their union; offsetting earnings against interest on certain condemnation awards; declaring emergency and that act take effect immediately.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Arguments

• Washington State Grange: "In contrast with the present system of absentee, holding-company ownership, it will place electric properties in control of the' people of the area served, acting through their elected commissioners. These commissioners will be directly responsible to their constituents when serving as members of a joint commission, just as they are when performing their other duties as power district commissioners."

Opposition

Arguments

• Kinsey M. Robinson, J.E.E. Royer, Lyman J. Bunting, and Joseph H. Hall: "Referendum No. 25 (formerly Initiative No. 12) would hang a cumbersome form of state socialism around the necks of the people. It would permit combinations of PUD commissioners to create new corporations or Super-Commissions, without a vote of the people. These Super-commissions would have power to take over all the existing business-managed electric systems, also without a vote of the people, and even against the people's expressed desire to retain their taxpaying, regulated utility service."

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Washington

In Washington, proponents needed to collect a number of signatures for a veto referendum.

See also

1944 Measures

• 1944 Measures
• Utility policy on the ballot
• 1944 legislative sessions

Washington

• Washington ballot measures
• Washington ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Washington Voter Guide (1944)