TBT Blog

Hopelink (a non-profit agency providing programs to promote healthy individuals and families as a way to exit poverty, and a frequent partner with TBT) supports voting NO on the following initiatives. These ballot initiatives seek to dismantle key revenue sources for Washington state which fund critical programs in early childhood education, healthcare, and transportation.

Initiative # 2109 – This measure would repeal an excise tax imposed on the sale or exchange of certain long-term capital assets by individuals who have annual capital gains of over $250,000. It threatens to cut over $5 billion in funding for K-12 education, higher education, early learning, childcare, and school construction.

Initiative # 2117 - This ballot measure seeks to dismantle the Climate Commitment Act by prohibiting state agencies from imposing any type of carbon tax credit trading, and repealing legislation that established a cap and invest program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If this ballot initiative passes, it would jeopardize air, land and water protections and cut funding to our transportation programs. There are no guarantees for lower gas prices.

Initiative # 2124 - This initiative will end WA Cares, Washington’s long-term care benefit program. WA Cares is funded through mandatory contributions from most employees in Washington. The current program provides people who meet its requirements up to $36,500 (plus increases based on inflation) to pay for certain long term care services, such as nursing home care. Medicare and private health insurance does not cover long-term care as we age, become disabled or ill.