The Lynnwood Times Political Maverick of the Year for 2024 goes to Brian Heywood, CEO of Taiyo Pacific Partners and founder of Let’s Go Washington, for introducing a record-breaking six citizen initiatives during the 2024 legislative session—three of which were approved by both legislative chambers (the most citizen initiatives ever approved by law makers in state history) and three of which were placed on the ballots for voters’ consideration.
Per the Washington Secretary of State’s requirements regarding initiatives or referendums filed in 2021 through 2024, initiatives must gain 324,516 before making it to law makers desks for a vote. All six initiatives garnered a whopping 2,662,310 signatures in total.
The three initiatives that passed the legislature were I-2081, concerning parental rights which passed the Senate unanimously and the House 82-15; I-2111, preventing Washington State from enforcing an income tax which passed 38-11 in the Senate and 76-21 in the House; and I-2113, amending statewide police pursuit laws passed in the Senate with a vote of 36-13 and 77-20 in the House.
The other three initiatives, which were placed on the November 5 ballot for voters’ consideration, included: I-2117, which would have prohibited state agencies from implementing the carbon tax credit trading (otherwise known as cap-and-trade) had it not been voted down by voters with 61.9% voting no; I-2109, repealing the state capital gains tax, which voters voted down with 63.9% not in favor; and I-2124 which would have allowed workers to opt out of the state’s long-term care insurance program but it was voted down with 53.3% voting no.
The Heywood-led Let’s Go Washington also teamed up with The Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW), the Washington Hospitality Association (WHA) and others for a seventh initiative, I-2066, which protects natural gas as an energy source. That initiative was approved by voters during the General Election with 51.7% voting in favor.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
