VOTERS’ PAMPHLET WASHINGTON STATE ELECTIONS & WHATCOM COUNTY GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 6 YOUR BALLOT WILL BE MAILED BY OCTOBER 19 2018 (800) 448-4881 | vote.wa.gov OFFICIAL PUBLICATION 2 A message from Secretary of State Kim Wyman Welcome to your 2018 General Election Voters’ Pamphlet! This important election will decide local, state, and national races and issues. All 10 of Washington’s congressional seats and a statewide race for the U.S. Senate are on the ballot in this election, as are all 98 seats in the state House of Representatives and 25 of 49 seats in the state Senate. City and county elections will select judges, council members, and other of cials who administer day-to-day government functions locally. Several statewide initiatives are on the ballot this year as well, with the potential to signi cantly affect public policy and Washingtonians’ lives. For more than a century, citizens have used petitions to place issues directly before the state’s voters, and the Voters’ Pamphlet has provided valuable information about what each proposal would do. Inside this edition of the Pamphlet, you’ll nd explanations of each initiative, the impact each would have on state government nances, and arguments for and against. To participate in this election, you must be registered to vote in Washington. You may check your registration status anytime online at MyVote.wa.gov. If you are not yet registered to vote in this year’s General Election, you have until October 29th to register at your county’s elections of ce. This year, you and voters throughout the state will be able to return ballots by mail without using a stamp. This new convenience provides greater access to elections. Whether you use a mailbox or drop box, you can cast your vote postage-free. Voting is your opportunity to make your voice heard at the ballot box and make a difference in your community. Please take time to read through this Voters’ Pamphlet to learn about the important issues and political of ces being decided this year, and then ll out your ballot and return it by November 6th by mail or in one of your county’s drop boxes. Thank you for your time and your participation in the political process. Make an impact in your community and our state by voting this fall! Kim Wyman Secretary of State /WASecretaryofState @secstatewa /WashingtonStateElections 3 November 6, 2018 General Election Table of contents Voting in Washington State . 4 Accessible Pamphlets . .5 Language Assistance . 6 Measures Initiative Measure No. 1631. 8 Initiative Measure No. 1634. 18 Initiative Measure No. 1639. 21 Initiative Measure No. 940 . 27 Advisory Votes. 32 Candidates U.S. Senate . 37 U.S. House of Representatives . 40 Political parties State Legislative Offices. 44 Washington State Democrats State Judicial Offices. 50 PO Box 4027 Seattle, WA 98194 Whatcom County Voters’ Pamphlet . 57 (206) 583-0664 [email protected] www.wa-democrats.org More information Complete Text of Measures . 84 Washington State Republican Party Contact Your County. 110 11811 NE 1st St, Ste A306 Bellevue, WA 98005 (425) 460-0570 [email protected] www.wsrp.org Who donates to campaigns? View financial contributors for ? candidates and measures: Public Disclosure Commission www.pdc.wa.gov Toll Free (877) 601-2828 4 Voting in Washington State Qualifications You must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Washington State, and not under Department of Corrections supervision for a Washington State felony conviction. Register to vote & update your address The deadline to update your voting address has passed. Contact your former county elections department to request a ballot at your new address. New voters may register in person until October 29 at your county elections department. Military voters are exempt from voter registration deadlines. Cast Your Ballot Your ballot will be Vote your ballot Return it by mail or to an 1 mailed to the address 2 and sign your 3 official ballot drop box by you provide in your return envelope. 8 p.m. on November 6. voter registration. No stamp needed for this election! vote by mail WhereWhere is is my my ballot ballot?? View YourYour ballotballot willwill bebe mailedmailed byby OctoberOctober 2019.. Election Results IfIf youyou needneed aa replacementreplacement ballotballot,, contactcontact youryour countycounty electionselections departmentdepartment listedlisted VOTE.WA.GOV atat thethe endend ofof thisthis pamphletpamphlet.. or get the mobile app WA State Election Results 5 Accessible pamphlet available Audio and plain text voters’ pamphlets available at vote.wa.gov. No Internet access? To receive a copy on CD or USB drive, call (800) 448-4881. 6 Language assistance w Se habla español Việt Nam được nói 中國口語 Todos los votantes del estado Tất cả cử tri ở Tiểu Bang de Washington tienen acceso 所有華盛頓州的選民都可在www.vote.wa.gov Washington có thể truy cập al folleto electoral y a los 網站 查 sách dành cho cử tri và đơn formularios de inscripción en 看中文選民手冊和選民登記 ghi danh cử tri bằng tiếng español por internet en 表 格。 www.vote.wa.gov. Việt trực tuyến tại www.vote.wa.gov. Adicionalmente, los votantes 此外，金郡選民也可登記在 de los condados de Yakima, 每次選舉前自動獲取中文選 Ngoài ra, cử tri ở Quận King Franklin y Adams recibirán su 票和選民手冊。 có thể đăng ký để tự động boleta y folleto electoral de 如果您或您認識的人需要語 nhận lá phiếu và sách dành forma bilingüe antes de cada cho cử tri bằng tiếng Việt trước (800)言協助，請致電 448-4881 elección. 。 mỗi cuộc bầu cử. Si usted o alguien que conoce Nếu quý vị hoặc người nào necesitan asistencia en quý vị biết cần trợ giúp ngôn español llame al ngữ, xin vui lòng gọi (800) 448-4881. (800) 448-4881. The federal Voting Rights Act requires translated elections materials. 7 The Ballot Measure Process The Initiative The Referendum Any voter may propose an initiative to Any voter may demand that a law create a new state law or change an proposed by the Legislature be referred to existing law. voters before taking effect. Initiatives to the People Referendum Bills are proposed laws submitted directly are proposed laws the Legislature has to voters. referred to voters. Initiatives to the Legislature Referendum Measures are proposed laws submitted to the are laws recently passed by the Legislature. Legislature that voters have demanded be referred to the ballot. Laws by the People Before an Initiative to the People or an Before a Referendum Measure can appear Initiative to the Legislature can appear on the ballot, the sponsor must collect... on the ballot, the sponsor must collect... 129,811 VOTERS' SIGNATURES 4% of all votes in the last Governor’s race 259,622 Initiatives & Referenda VOTERS' SIGNATURES BECOME LAW 8% of all votes in the last with a simple Governor’s race MAJORITY VOTE 8 Initiative Measure No. 1631 Initiative Measure No. Initiative Measure No. 1631 concerns pollution. This measure would charge pollution fees on sources of greenhouse gas pollutants and use the revenue to reduce pollution, promote clean energy, and address climate impacts, under oversight of a public board. 1631 Should this measure be enacted into law? [ ] Yes [ ] No Explanatory Statement 9 Fiscal Impact Statement 11 Arguments For and Against 17 The Secretary of State is not responsible for the content of statements or arguments (WAC 434-381-180). Initiative Measure No. 1631 9 The fee imposed on fossil fuels would be collected from Explanatory Statement various persons or companies. For motor vehicle fuel and Written by the Office of the Attorney General “special fuel” (diesel and certain other fuels), the fee would be collected from fuel licensees who currently pay the The Law as it Presently Exists motor vehicle fuel taxes on those fuels. For natural gas, the fee would be collected from natural gas public utilities or Under existing law, Washington has set goals to reduce entities that pay the state’s natural gas use tax. For refinery greenhouse gases emitted in Washington. Those facilities, the fee would be collected from the refinery for gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fossil fuels consumed or used by the refinery. The fee may hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, also be collected from a seller of fossil fuels to end users and other gases designated by the Department of Ecology. or consumers, a seller of fuel used for certain combined The goals are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the heat and power, or from other persons designated by the state to 1990 levels by 2020 and to continue reducing Department of Revenue. greenhouse gas emissions to achieve fifty percent of 1990 levels by 2050. The Department of Commerce is The fee imposed on electricity would be collected from responsible for developing a plan to reduce greenhouse importers of electricity generated using fossil fuels, gas emissions and reporting progress toward meeting importers of electricity generated from an unspecified the state’s goals. State agencies are required to reduce source, or a power plant located in Washington that greenhouse gas emissions by certain specified levels. generates electricity using fossil fuels. Various laws and state agency rules relate to the reduction The fee charged would be based on the amount of of greenhouse gas emissions. These include emission carbon content in the fossil fuels. In the case of electricity, standards for certain power plants, renewable fuel the fee would be based on the carbon content of the standards, building codes, requirements for utilities to use fossil fuels used to generate the electricity. “Carbon renewable resources, converting state vehicles to clean content” means the carbon dioxide equivalent released fuels, motor vehicle emission standards, and land use laws from burning or oxidation of fossil fuels.