Many right wing initiatives are deceptively written to mask the harmful impact they would have to our communities. Research & Analysis houses our own investigative work and critiques of dangerous ballot measures as well as links to useful information prepared by other organizations.

Analysis and tools

• Dangerous Initiatives: Profiles right wing initiatives that have qualified for Washington’s statewide ballot since 1998
• Eye on Money: Permanent Defense’s tool for tracking contributions and expenditures to harmful ballot measures
• The Failure Chart: A look at the fate of each of Tim Eyman’s initiatives, documenting that the vast majority have been defeated or struck down
• Voters Want Better Choices: A set of tax fairness ideas that would make Washington’s tax code more progressive without harming vital public services
• Do your own research… and Think Before You Ink: A primer on what to be on guard against when approached by a petitioner

Special reports

• Tim Eyman’s “advisory votes” are really costly, deceptive, and unconstitutional push polls: An in-depth examination of Eyman’s scheme to require automatic, nonbinding public votes on new or recovered revenue (October 30th, 2013).
• Initiative 917 on the rocks: Background and timeline of the spectacular implosion of Tim Eyman’s 2006 initiative (released July 2006)
• Impact of Initiative 900: Responses from Washington State Auditor’s office to our questions about I-900 (released July 2005)
• Washington should make property taxes fairer with a homestead exemption: Frequently asked questions about how to make strides towards true property tax fairness (released February 2005)
• Voters willing to pay more to get more: Analysis of propositions on the 2004 primary ballot across Washington (released September 24th, 2004)

More Useful Information

• Supermajority Law’s Damaging Legacy: From the Washington Budget & Policy Center (posted Monday, August 27th, 2012)
• A Tool for Transparent, Timely Budgeting: From the Washington Budget & Policy Center (posted February 13th, 2007)
• 1990s state tax cuts have limited Washington’s ability to fund public priorities: From the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities (posted December 19th, 2006)
• City-by-City Tax Burdens (Seattle Ranks 41st of 49): CNNMoney Survey (posted September 4th, 2004)
• Impact of the Ron Sims Tax Plan on State Tax Fairness: From the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (posted August 26th, 2004)
• Report: Comparative State and Local Taxes: From the Washington State Department of Revenue (posted August 26th, 2004)
• Washington State Tax Structure Study: Commissioned by the 2001 Legislature (posted July 13th, 2004)
• Who Pays: Analysis of State and Local Tax Burdens: From the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (posted July 13th, 2004)