The finish line for this election season is less than a week away. Along with the hotly contested Presidential campaigns pushing all they can in the final days, Washington has its own hot-button ticket issues that will racket through its own economy, depending on how the votes go. 

The state of Washington has a Senate seat up for grabs, as well has a handful of District Representatives running to make the move to Washington, D.C. The representative appearing on a voter’s ballot is dependent on which district that voter is registered in. Although online registration has passed, voters can still register at the polls on election day.

Four measures have made it to the ballot as well, each contesting legislative measures passed earlier in 2024. From clean energy efforts, tax levies, and state healthcare, we’ve compiled our own reading guide for Highline students. 

Ballot Measures

Three initiatives were sponsored, one was supported, by Lets Go Washington, a non-affiliated political organization, and its founder, millionaire Brian Heyword. Heyward worked with Jim Walsh, the republican representative for District 19. They’ve brought the initiatives to Congress as an effort to repeal legislation passed earlier this year. 

Heyward has put much of his money behind these measures in an effort to lower climate initiatives, threaten public healthcare services, and defund education in Washington. 

2066

Ballot measure No. 2066 is attempting to repeal a bill that was passed earlier this year, HB 1589, or the ‘Washington Decarbonization Act.” HB 1589 enhanced regulations on energy providers with at least 800,000 customers, largely affecting companies like Puget Sound Energy (PSE). 

The bill consolidated all of PSE’s planning and reporting documents into a single file to be reviewed under the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), with the goal to phase out natural gas service in favor of electrical services, like wind and solar. 

HB 1589 was an effort to support “Washington’s clean energy economy and transition to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future.” 

Measure No. 2066 is an effort to repeal this law. 

K5 News wrote it “requires that large combination [utility companies] assess the costs and benefits of replacing natural gas pipelines, infrastructure projects and utility end uses with electric alternatives.” 

Let’s Go Washington campaigns against what they call a “gas ban” and fights to protect the consumer choice of electric or natural gas. 

The worry among the opposition is in the corporations, investing in outdated gas technologies against the state’s goal of becoming 100% clean energy, raising the cost for consumers. The goal is long-term, with deadlines stretching into the 2030s, but these bills are the first steps in that effort.

One deadline, to that effect, would be the ban of heat pumps with gas backups by the year 2031. For areas with reliable electricity grids, like Seattle or Tacoma, the worry of loss of electricity is miniscule. But for areas outside of cities and in Eastern Washington, when the electricity goes out, natural gas provides the only alternative. 

A “yes” vote would repeal the existing HB1589 bill. A “no” vote would leave it intact.

2109 

This initiative attempts to repeal an existing capital gains tax. For those of us without $250,000 in assets, measure No. 2109 lacks any effect for those without capital assets. But for students, their schools could be affected should this initiative pass the ballot.

“This initiative would repeal the 7% capital gains tax imposed on sales and exchanges of long-term capital assets by individuals with capital gains over $250,000. Examples of sales that would be subject to the tax include stocks, bonds, business interests, or other investments and tangible assets,” states the Washington voter’s pamphlet.

This tax was originally implemented in 2021, leading to an increase in funds directed toward the “education legacy trust account and the common school construction account.” 

There are a list of exemptions to this tax (buying a house, retirement), so it mainly affects large stockbrokers and shareholders. 

A repeal of this tax (a “yes” vote) would lead to a decrease in revenue stream for schools in Washington state so the richest wouldn’t have to pay more. A “no” vote would leave the 2021 capital gains tax intact.

2117

In another attempt to undo existing legislation, initiative 2117 would repeal the Washington Climate Commitment Act (CCA).

In 2021, Washington passed the CCA, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95% by 2050. It institutes this cap and invest program, making companies emitting higher than the limit, or cap, of emissions, they must purchase more emission allowances.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) defines the practice as follows: 

“In a cap-and-trade system, the government sets an emissions cap and issues a quantity of emission allowances consistent with that cap. Emitters must hold allowances for every ton of greenhouse gas they emit. Companies may buy and sell allowances, and this market establishes an emissions price.”  

Ballot measure No. 2117 is an effort against what’s known as cap and trade/invest or cap and tax programs that have made their way into state legislation across the country. It is part of a global effort to lower emissions and slow climate change.

Companies do not want to spend more to emit more, so they must find a way to lower their emissions to be below the cap, or buy emission allowances from other companies who are not using their entire emission allowance. This sets the market price between companies, yet still regulates greenhouse gas emissions. 

Measure No. 2117 is wishing to repeal the cap and trade system, removing emission limits set forth by the CCA of 2021. According to the ballot summary, “This measure would prohibit state agencies from imposing any type of carbon tax credit trading, and repeal legislation establishing a cap and invest program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Currently, revenue from business buying allowances are directed to city transportation, clean air, renewable energy, conservation, and emission-reduction. 

A “yes” vote would repeal the 2021 Washington Climate Commitment Act (CCA). A “no” vote would leave the CCA in place.

2124

Ballot measure No. 2124 concerns healthcare, specifically, long-term care like nursing homes or in-home caregivers. As the law currently exists, most employees in Washington (with some exceptions) pay into the state’s public provided healthcare through a small tax on wages. This deduction is mandatory for all but a few cases, like federal employees, tribe workers, or self-employees. 

The benefits of the state’s public program for long-term care are available, for free or reduced price, to all who pay into it, depending on how long they have been contributing.  

“Participants must contribute to the longer term care insurance program for a minimum number of years before they are eligible to apply for benefits. In general, participants must contribute for either (1) at least ten years, without a gap of five or more consecutive years, or (2) for three of the last six years before the date a person applied for benefits,” according to the Washington State Voter Guide.

Measure No. 2124 wants to make enrollment in this deduction voluntary, allowing workers to opt-out of contributing to the program. Those who opt-out would no longer be eligible to apply for benefits of the program. 

If passed, there is no telling how many employees would opt-out of the 0.58% deduction, bringing Washington’s Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Account down. Those who opted out wouldn’t receive access if they were to ever need it, pushing private insurance companies. 

There’s no telling when one would need access to healthcare. A worker could go their entire career not receiving a scratch, yet come down with a disability later in life. Washington State’s efforts to maintain resources in this case are being threatened by private insurance businesses that want to market higher wages while keeping healthcare prices high. 

A “yes” vote supports allowing employees and self-employed individuals to opt out of paying the payroll tax and receiving benefits under WA Cares, the state’s long-term services and trusts health care program. A “no” vote opposes allowing employees to opt out of this.

State Government 

For the first time in 12 years, Washington will be forced to choose a new governor following the retirement of Jay Inslee. 

Bob Ferguson, the democratic Attorney General of Washington, manages the largest law firm in the state, exhibiting his experience juggling the nearly 200 offices and committees under the Governors umbrella. 

Ferguson is a born and raised Washingtonian. Raised by union workers and living with his family in the Skagit river, he has been at the top of the law industry in Washington for years. 

Back in 2017, University of Washington (UW) Center for Human Rights awarded Ferguson the Justice Award after he sued then-President Trump over his travel ban, which disproportionately affected immigrants and green-card holders. This ban affected seven countries, and was called a “Muslim-ban.” 

Since then he’s gone after the former president dozens of times, blocking Trump’s attempts to rescind DACA and increase gun presence in America. He’s maintained health-care in Washington for those with pre-existing conditions by challenging Trump, writing legislation for the state, and fighting against health care monopolies. 

There’s a political sentiment of ‘justice takes place in courts, not in congress.’ Ferguson’s record of political activism through the law publicizes his character, one of conviction and courage to take on our national government. 

His opponent, Dave Reichert, running on the republican platform, against Ferguson, was a former King County Sheriff. Originally beginning his career in the military in 1971, 53 years ago. Reichert served with other tackforce members and volunteers in the 80s and 90s to capture and convict the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway. 

Reichert made his way into politics afterwards, winning congressional district seats where he worked along other house representatives. Despite not having a stance on healthcare on his website, Reichert has denied the claims that he would support a Trump abortion ban if elected. 

Reichert’s biggest stance is his view on anti-semitism and its rise in schools as Israel bombards Palestinians in the Middle East. Earlier this year, campuses across the nation broke out in protests against university ties to defense spending sending weapons to Israel. 

Alongside Reichert and Ferguson, their Lieutenant (Lt.) Governor race will determine who steps up in any event the two men can not do the job. The voters pamphlet defines the Lt. Governor as “the presiding officer of the state senate.” 

Denny Heck, former educator, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1976, fighting for public education, and has since opened several small businesses concerning gaming, streaming, and learning technology. His political career led him into the Lt. Gov. office in 2021, where he hopes to maintain the seat throughout this election. 

Dan Matthews challenges Heck for the seat. Former military and masters in Public Administration, Matthews hopes his experience shows his ability for tough decisions, as the Lt. Gov. expected to face Senate rulings. Matthews has run a number of times for various state seats, yet has been passed over for the democratic party nomination.

Washington Senator

A senator seat is up for grabs this year, with senator Maria Cantwell running for reelection opposed by Dr. Rual Garcia. 

The incumbent, Cantwell, has been Washington’s democratic senator since 2001. She’s worked with unions, businesses, universities, and bipartisan committees passing legislation in Washington since the ‘90s. 

She is a first-generation college student, who made it through under the Pell Grant. During her career in politics, she’s prioritized union and infrastructure jobs, environmental protection programs, and healthcare for all. She has been fighting to pass abortion protections in the Senate since 2022 as Trump bans stretched across the country. 

Garcia, born in Cuba, escaped to Spain from Castro, gained political asylum in the United States where he studied medicine in New York before settling in Washington. He has been an ER doctor for nearly three decades, working on the front lines of the fentanyl epidemic and violent crime. 

Polls are showing a wide lead for Cantwell, so the many are expecting her to maintain her seat in Washington D.C. 

United States House of Representatives* 

*What appears on a voter’s ballot will depend on which congressional district that voter is registered in. 

The Highline community, located in Congressional District Nine has a race between Adamn Smith and Melissa Chaudhry, but running on the democratic ticket. 

South Seattle Emerald compared the two, finding little differences aside from their stance on war and foreign policy. 

“Chaudhry, the daughter of a Navy commander and wife of a disabled Army veteran, is unequivocally against war. Smith, as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, is a bit more nuanced on the subject. He is, however, unequivocally not against war, particularly when he deems it necessary to protect U.S. interests or thwart the interests of those he sees as America’s enemies.”

Federally, there’s only one more seat for Washington voters to cast their ballot on, and it is the Presidential seat. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have spent the last days of their candidacy speaking in swing states, holding homage rallies, attempting to reach the very last voter. 

There are a number of state seats called for on the ballot this year from the State Supreme court to lower district courts and state offices. Election day is this Tuesday. Officials are expecting ballot counts to take a least a few days, so watch for next week’s Election Update in the Thunderword.