Washington Referendum Measure 89, Special Education Funding Measure (2019)

Washington Referendum Measure 89, Special Education Funding Measure
Election date November 5, 2019
Topic Education
Status Not on the ballot
Type Referendum	Origin Citizens
List of Washington measuresWashington Initiative 976Washington Washington Referendum 88Washington Senate Joint Resolution 8200Washington Advisory Vote 20Washington Advisory Vote 21Washington Advisory Vote 22Washington Advisory Vote 23Washington Advisory Vote 24Washington Advisory Vote 25Washington Advisory Vote 26Washington Advisory Vote 27Washington Advisory Vote 28Washington Advisory Vote 29Washington Advisory Vote 30Washington Advisory Vote 31Submit

Washington Referendum Measure 89 concerning Special Education Funding was not on the ballot in Washington as a veto referendum on November 5, 2019.

The Referendum Measure 89 petition effort sought to refer to the people the deletion of certain words or sections of Senate Bill 5091 which concerned special education funding.

This referendum was a unique effort to refer portions of bill such that amounts and other details were changed. For example, it would have removed a zero from a provision providing a 1.0075 multiplier for special education funding, thereby making the multiplier rate 1.075 instead. It was ultimately rejected as invalid by the attorney general and was never approved for circulation.

Text of measure

The full text of the measure is available here.

Background

Veto referendums in Washington

See also: How many veto referendums have there been in Washington?

Since the first in 1914, Washington voters have decided 37 statewide veto referendum measures at the ballot.

A veto referendum is a type of citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal a law passed by the state legislature. Opponents of the law collect signatures for the veto referendum petition hoping that voters will repeal it at the ballot. The most recent veto referendum was on the ballot in Washington in 2012. In 81 percent of cases (30 of 37), the veto referendum resulted in the targeted bill being repealed. Conversely, 19 percent (seven of 37) of veto referendum measures resulted in the targeted law being upheld. In Washington, successful veto referendum petitions suspend the targeted law until the veto referendum is placed on the ballot and voted on in an election.

The veto referendum ballot measure is also known as a popular referendum, people's veto, or citizen's veto. In Washington, these are called referendum measures. Washington uses the term referendum bills for proposed laws referred to voters by the legislature. There are 23 states that have a process for veto referendums.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Washington

The state process

In Washington, the number of signatures required to qualify a veto referendum for the ballot is equal to 4 percent of the votes cast for the office of governor at the last regular gubernatorial election. Signatures must be submitted 90 days following the adjournment of the legislative session during which the targeted bill was passed.

The requirements to get a veto referendum certified for the 2019 ballot:

• Signatures: 129,811 valid signatures

The secretary of state verifies the signatures using a random sample method. If the sample indicates that the measure has sufficient signatures, the measure is certified for the ballot. However, if the sample indicates that the measure has insufficient signatures, every signature is checked. Under Washington law, a random sample result may not invalidate a petition.

Details about this initiative

• Senate Bill 5091 was approved by the Washington State Legislature during the regular 2019 session, which ended on April 28, 2019.
  • The adjournment date of the regular legislative session set the signature deadline for any veto referendum petitions as July 27, 2019.
• This referendum was submitted by Richard Pope, Jr. on May 14, 2019.
• The attorney general ruled that the veto referendum petition was invalid because it sought to remove certain words such that it fundamentally changed the law rather than putting a bill or a portion of a bill as passed by the legislature to a vote of the people.
  • The attorney general also told the referendum sponsor that the referendum concerning provisions necessary for the funding of government institutions, which is not allowed by state law.

See also

2019 measures

• 2019 ballot measures
• Education on the ballot
• 2019 petition deadlines

Washington

• Washington ballot measures
• Washington initiative laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls
• Ballot measure signature costs

External links

• Proposed Referendum Measures
• Referendum Measure 89 full text