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

By MARTHA BELLISLE
Associated Press

A judge has ruled that information about how much money three GOP-backed initiatives would cost the state of Washington must appear on the November ballot. A Thurston County Superior Court judge said Friday the initiatives require financial disclosures under a 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 say they would have massive impacts on the state’s ability to provide critical services. Republican backers of the measures who sued to keep the fiscal impact off the ballot, said they were concerned that what they called the “warning label” would be “weaponized.”