Two initiatives on track, others in trouble
by Hal Spencer

June 01, 1998 - Associated Press

Olympia, WA -- A measure that would allow sick people to smoke marijuana appears headed for the fall ballot as does a proposal to raise the minimum wage. But other citizen initiatives are struggling.

Despite brave talk from backers, campaigns to repeal the state car tax, put new controls on abortion, and roll back property taxes all are showing signs they won't have enough voter signatures by the July 2 deadline to qualify for the Nov. 3 ballot.

"If I were to bet, I'd say the marijuana initiative will make the ballot, and maybe the minimum-wage measure too," Sherry Bockwinkel, a veteran initiative campaigner, said Monday.

"I think its going to be another year when our state votes on one or two measures, just like they have done historically," Bockwinkel said.

Initiative 692, the marijuana measure, has two things going for it -- strong financial backing and paid signature-gatherers.

The most recent state Public Disclosure Commission records show the Initiative 692 campaign had raised nearly $400,000 by May 1, enough to field paid signature-gatherers.

"It's really hard to get the signatures without paying people to do it," said the measure's main spokesman, Tacoma physician Rob Killian. "I don't know anyone who can get anything on the ballot any more just with volunteer" signature-gatherers.

Backers of the minimum-wage proposal, Initiative 688, are using only volunteers and still expect to meet the deadline for gathering 179,248 signatures of registered voters, said campaign spokesman David Groves.

But Bockwinkel said that campaign is credible because it is backed by the Washington State Labor Council.

"Even though they might not be paying people to get signatures, they have a lot of people working on the campaign," she said. That effort had raised about $55,000 by May 1, mostly from unions.

Groves said the campaign is strong because it includes many grassroots groups, from labor to community and women's groups. The measure would eventually boost the minimum wage to $6.50. It also provides for annual increases to keep up with inflation.

Spokesmen for Initiative 691 -- to eliminate the motor vehicle excise tax by 2000 -- did not return telephone calls left at their campaign office Monday.

But Bockwinkel contends their campaign is in trouble. She noted they had raised little money -- $14,623 by May 1.

"They don't have what it takes for this initiative," she said.

The campaign expressed optimism in a Monday news release.

"We've gathered signatures the old-fashioned way -- through blood, sweat and volunteers. With a lot of hard work by a lot of people, we look forward to qualifying the "No Car Tax" Initiative for the fall ballot," the release said.

Another campaign to kill the car tax, Initiative 690, appears to be in similar straits. It has little money and also has relied on volunteers to collect signatures.

Initiative 694 , which would ban certain late term abortions -- what backers call "partial-birth" abortions -- also appears unlikely to gather the necessary signatures, Bockwinkel said.

"It's the first time I've done this," said Poulsbo family physician Robert Bethel of his work heading the initiative campaign.

He said the effort has high hopes that its volunteers will be able to meet the July deadline for petition signatures.

"I've been told we won't be able to it with volunteer" signature-gatherers, Bethel said. "All we can do is wait and see."

A perennial effort by Thurston County resident Don Carter to roll back property taxes and limit future increases appears to be dead.

Initiative 687 "is about 100,000 signatures short," Carter said.

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