October 14th, 2013
Progressive Voter’s Guide urges a no vote on Tim Eyman’s Initiative 517
From the Campaign Trail
Each year around election time, our friends at Fuse Washington put together a voter’s guide for progressive voters to use when filling out their ballots. The guide provides ballot measure recommendations in plain English, and shows which progressive organizations have endorsed which candidates in competitive races.
It is a valuable resource and a lot of work goes into making it useful.
This year’s Progressive Voters Guide contains a strong statement against I-517, which NPI’s Permanent Defense is working to defeat. Here’s the text of it:
Initiative 517: Vote NO
Initiative 517 is Tim Eyman’s most self-serving initiative yet. Eyman, the sponsor of over a dozen misguided and unconstitutional initiatives, wrote I-517 to make signature gathering more lucrative and initiatives more profitable. I-517 would prevent business owners from being able to stop aggressive petitioners from blocking or harassing customers, and it would allow out-of-state petitioners to solicit signatures inside public buildings, including libraries and sports stadiums year round.
I-517 has broad progressive opposition, but the coalition also includes retailers like Metropolitan Markets and sports teams like the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders FC. Many Republicans are also opposed; former Attorney General Rob McKenna and past Secretary of State Sam Reed have joined progressives in urging a “no” vote.
Opposed by: Washington CAN!, Northwest Progressive Institute, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC
We’re proud to be part of the diverse, bipartisan coalition organizing opposition to Initiative 517. Join us in protecting our constitutionally guaranteed free speech and property rights by voting “no” on I-517 this fall.
