Bill abolishing advisory votes passes WA House

OLYMPIA – The State House of Representatives passed legislation Monday, sponsored by Sen. Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue), to remove the state’s requirement for advisory votes on revenue legislation.

“Advisory votes are non-binding referendums that do not carry any legal weight,” said Kuderer in a release by Washington State Senate Democrats. “They have no real impact on policy-making. These votes only pollute our ballots with anti-tax propaganda specifically designed to instill distrust in government—and they do it on our most fundamental sanctuary of democracy, the ballot.”

Senate Bill 5082 replaces advisory votes with useful, accurate information about the legislature’s fiscal decisions readily available via QR code, coupled with an online database, adding a layer of accountability, the release stated. Removing advisory votes is expected to save taxpayers millions of dollars every year in ballot design, printing and tabulation costs.

“Advisory votes undermine the democratic process,” Kuderer said. “Everything on our ballot should have meaning. Advisory votes violate that principal. They give the illusion of public input and engagement, but in truth they are nothing more than push polls designed to influence opinion, not to measure it.”

The bill, previously passed by the Senate in February, now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk for his signature.