Washington Accountability Act

I-1464  Washington Accountability Act                 

Ballot language: Initiative Measure No. 1464 concerns campaign finance laws and lobbyists. This measure would create a campaign-finance system; allow residents to direct state funds to candidates; repeal the non-resident sales-tax exemption; restrict lobbying employment by certain former public employees; and add enforcement requirements. Should this measure be enacted into law?

Sponsored by Yes 1-1464   http://www.yes1464.org/ 1464 would: require political ads to include information about who is actually paying for them; prevent coordination between candidates and SuperPACs; bar lobbyists and public contractors from making big contributions to candidates they are trying to influence; stop the revolving door of government officials taking jobs as lobbyists after they leave office; strengthen enforcement of ethics and campaign finance laws; impose stiffer penalties for violations; allow the public to direct state funds to candidates of their choice; force politicians to focus on smaller donations from more people.

I found an editorial opinion in the Longview Daily News http://tdn.com/news/opinion/vote-no-on-i/article_b1526bfd-a126-56cc-8d59-6b40bdb0567e.html   Their objection is to the financing. Right now out-of-state shoppers in Washington enjoy exemption from our state sales tax. Lucky them. 1464 proposes to close that particular tax loophole and use the money to create a fund which would provide vouchers to all legal residents. Residents could designate which candidates for office would receive each of their 3 $50.00 vouchers. They could not convert the vouchers to cash. I am not persuaded by the Longview paper’s argument that this is some sort of boondoggle. Yes, Longview and Vancouver will no doubt lose market share when Oregonians find it not worth their trouble to cross the river to shop in Washington – although Oregon has no sales tax, so not sure what the incentive to buy in Washington. There is a larger statewide issue here. I like the idea of campaign finance reform.

I like reducing the influence of dark money in politics.

I will be voting YES on I-1464