WA Senate passes simple majority plan for school levies

OLYMPIA — Washington voters will get the final say on a state constitutional amendment to allow simple majority approval of local property tax levies for public schools.

The state Senate passed the measure on a 33-16 vote today, just squeaking past the two-thirds vote needed.

"This is a long time in coming," said Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way. "I feel just as passionate today as I did in '93 about this piece of legislation. I'm a mom and I care about every single child in the state of Washington."

The House already passed the measure, so it now heads to voters who must approve it by a simple majority.

It currently takes a 60 percent supermajority to pass a school levy. To lower that to 50 percent requires a constitutional amendment.

Opponents said the measure was the wrong way to go.

"The fact of the matter is, you're making it really easy to raise people's taxes," said Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver.

The measure has been kicking around Olympia since 1993, often passing the House only to flounder in the Senate.

"For the first time in history we're going to let the voters tell us what they want," said Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, D-Normandy Park, the bill's sponsor in the House. "It's astounding it's taken this long."

No matter what the voter's decide, "We'll live with the decision," she said.