Washington judge denies GOP attempt to keep financial impact of initiatives off November ballots

Information about how much money three GOP-backed initiatives would cost the state of Washington must appear on the November ballot where voters can see it, a judge on Friday ruled.

The measures to repeal the state’s landmark Climate Commitment Act and the tax on the sale of stocks and bonds as well as one that could threaten a long-term care insurance program require financial disclosures, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Allyson Zipp said in a ruling from the bench. The decision is based on a recent law that requires the state attorney general to spell out how funding would be affected by initiatives that repeal, impose or change any tax or fee.

Opponents of the measures, who said they would have massive impacts on the state's ability to provide critical services, praised the judge's decision.

“Their lawsuit had one inexcusable purpose: to hide the truth about the impacts of these initiatives from voters," Aaron Ostrom, executive director of the progressive advocacy organization FUSE Washington, said in a statement. “They know they will lose if voters understand what these destructive, deceptive initiatives actually do.”

Initiative author Jim Walsh, who along with Deanna Martinez sued to keep the fiscal impact off the ballot, said in an email to The Associated Press that they were concerned the “warning label” would be “weaponized.”

“We don't mind the idea of more information, said Walsh, chair of the state Republican Party and a state representative from Aberdeen. ”What we're concerned about is it won't be impartial information. It will be partisan rhetoric, weaponized to make the initiatives sound bad. The fight isn't over. We are going to continue to make the point that we want unbiased non-political