Hobbs, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, said the state’s lingering budget problems make that a bad idea. Rep. Larry Hoff on $30 car tabs, parental rights, and the state’s homelessness crisis. The decision will also give state legislators a bit of a reprieve next year. Any possible changes to the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) tax that goes towards Sound Transit projects are not yet effective, the DOL said. This story has been updated with additional context and reaction to the ruling. Lawsuits are seeking to overturn I-976. Most of that money was expected to be spent on transit and nonroad projects. Learn more from our I-976 Fact Sheet. “The average informed lay voter would conclude voter approved taxes — such as  those used to fund local and regional transportation projects across our  state — would remain,” Justice Steven González wrote in the majority opinion. “We can breathe a little easier,” said state Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. All Rights Reserved. Justin Leighton, the executive director of the Washington State Transit Association, said Thursday’s ruling will help prevent cuts to bus routes that many essential workers rely on to get to their jobs. The Washington State Supreme Court has struck down the initiative voters passed last year that sought to reduce the cost of car tabs. Facts: Nearly 53% of voters supported I-976 in November 2019. January 21, 2020. The Washington Department of Licensing released a fact sheet outlining some changes I-976 will have on licensing fees. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) I-976, the $30 car tab measure approved by … Beginning this month, hybrid-vehicle owners in Washington state will start paying an annual $75 car-tab fee to finance electric-car charging stations they’ll never use. — that the government doesn’t care and doesn’t listen to them after they have clearly spoken through the initiative process,” O’Ban’s statement said. In his first video update of the 2020 legislative session, Rep. Larry Hoff discusses the importance of respecting the will of the voters when it comes to $30 car tabs. Click here for more renewal and registration fee information from the DOL. Starting on Dec. 5, 2019, the initiative lowers the vehicle weight fee, electric vehicle fee, snowmobile registration, and commercial trailer fee to $30. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. “If we fail to act, voters will believe — and who can blame them? “We’ve got to find a way to have a more stable funding source,” Fey said. ; House Bill 2021 would make Sound Transit’s motor vehicle excise tax be based on the Kelley Blue Book. Many Washington residents eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine can't find available doses, Gov. State officials had estimated I-976 would cause state and local governments to lose about $4.2 billion in revenue for transportation and transit projects over the next six years. 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Plaintiff Sid Maietto said his family’s car tab fees jumped from $450 dollars in 2016 to $1,100 in 2017. If your vehicle registration is due before Dec. 5, the DOL said you should pay the amount listed on your renewal notice. At least one lawsuit has already been filed to prevent I-976 from taking effect. They carried their guns and their anger to the steps of the Washington Legislature as protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Melissa Santos is Crosscut’s staff reporter covering state politics and the Legislature. State Rep. Jake Fey, a Tacoma Democrat who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said “It’s great to have the Supreme Court understand the problems with another Eyman initiative that was badly written.” He said I-976 “threw everything but the kitchen sink into a ballot issue and misled the public once again.”. SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington state voters decided they wanted a $30 cap on car tab fees. On Thursday, the state Supreme Court struck down Initiative 976, a measure Washington voters approved last November to reduce the cost of annual vehicle licensing fees. In a unanimous ruling, the state’s high court said the measure was unconstitutional because it combined more than one subject in one initiative, something the state constitution forbids. How to renew your tabs Renew your tabs. But now it’s noisier than ever. Your options are: Bring the original or copy of validated Schedule 1 (form 2290) Schedule of Highway Motor Vehicles for the current tax period ‘Stunning admission’ from Sound Transit during car tabs … WA Supreme Court rules $30 car tab ... Inslee said he was open to working with legislators to make changes to how the state collects car-tab fees ... Top stories of 2020 in Washington state. If the information on this translated website is unclear, please contact us at 360.902.3900 for help in your language of choice. Voters approved the initiative that caps car tabs fees to $30 during the Nov. 5 general election. “It shouldn't take another initiative — it should take responsible leaders,” said Eyman, who urged Gov. Renew your WA vehicle tabs online, sign up for email reminders, or extend your tabs if you're on military duty when they expire. Key Republicans, who are in the minority in the Legislature, agreed with Eyman that lawmakers should go ahead and enact the car-tab cuts voters approved under I-976, despite Thursday’s court ruling. Justices Strike Down Eyman's $30 Car Tab Initiative The Washington Supreme Court has unanimously struck down Tim Eyman's Initiative 976, a measure … I-976 eliminates the passenger weight fee, motorhome weight fee, transportation benefit district fee, and the 0.3% vehicle retail sales/use tax. Drivers whose car tabs expire before Dec. 5 and wait to renew their registration until I-976 takes effect will not save any money. 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The Washington State Supreme Court issued a ruling Thursday, upholding the constitutionality of car tabs fees levied by ST3. ), site search, and Google Translate it's necessary to enable JavaScript. “It’s good they recognized that,” Fey said. That is the latest deadline spelled out in I-976, but Eyman said the state is misinterpreting the initiative and car owners across the state should all start paying $30 for their car tabs on Dec. 6. That’s largely why legislators have leaned on car-tab revenues to pay for those things. Speaking of $30 car tabs, House Republicans firmly believe all lawmakers should respect the will of the voters and work to implement the provisions of I-976 this year.Last week, our caucus rolled out a comprehensive transportation package that would do just that, while also establishing a new funding source for transportation and working to cut WSDOT bureaucracy instead of projects. Jay Inslee to call the Legislature into an immediate special session to respond to the court’s ruling. We will continue to collect all current vehicle fees and taxes. The initiative passed anyway, winning 53% of the vote in November 2019. The Washington Supreme Court issued the long-awaited ruling on Thursday. In addition to cutting car-tab fees, I-976 also would have eliminated a 0.3% sales tax charged on vehicle sales. Find out how to renew your vehicle tabs and registration. Eight of the court's nine justices also said the initiative had a misleading title, striking it down on that basis as well. Also see | Government agencies call I-976 'poorly drafted hodge-podge' in lawsuit. The Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) released a … Washington residents are currently expected to pay their car tab fees regardless of their employment status, but Gov. He said the state transportation budget now is projected to lose another $500 million or so in the next two years because of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. An evening view of the Pacific Tower on Beacon Hill in Seattle, with traffic on Interstate 5 traveling the highway. (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut). On October 15, 2020 the Washington State Supreme Court ruled I-976 unconstitutional. Starting Jan. 2, 2020, an emission test is no longer required to renew your vehicle tabs. Fresh from winning Prop 22 in California, the ride-sharing company prepares for battle in Seattle. Car tabs initiative ruled unconstitutional. WA Legislature to start 2021 ... month to slash what they pay in car-tab fees. The DOL said it is still “working to understand the effects of this lawsuit and any injunctions that may be issued.”. Local officials, too, will benefit from Thursday’s ruling. No. For the third time in state history, a measure promising to cut car-tab taxes to $30 a year has been blocked by Washington state courts. Why should I keep my car tuned up to fix emission problems? Drivers will still be charged common fees like the $8 service fee, $4.50 filing fee, $0.25 license plate technology fee, and the $0.50 DOL license service fee. When you renew your tabs, visit a vehicle licensing office, show proof you've paid your FHVUT. About 60 cities and counties charge their own local car-tab fees to pay for road projects and other transportation needs. One of Eyman’s main targets with the initiative was Sound Transit, which is building a regional light rail network paid for in part by higher car-tab fees. It wasn’t immediately clear what those options might be. Voters approved the initiative that caps car tabs fees to $30 during the Nov. 5 general election. The DOL said I-976 only affected the licensing fees listed above. Many of those fee increases were approved by voters. To find out what your specific … Earlier this month a DOL spokesperson told KING 5 that car owners in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties will continue to pay the Sound Transit RTA tax until March 31, 2020. The Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) released a fact sheet this week outlining some changes I-976 will have to vehicle licensing fees. The state is also trying to find a way to pay for a new bridge over the Columbia River at Interstate 5 in Vancouver. The measure has been on hold for nearly a year, as legal challenges worked their way through the court system. Eyman, the initiative sponsor, said he would keep fighting for lower car-tab fees, as he has for the past two decades. I-976 was projected to reduce the state transportation budget by about $650 million in the 2021-23 budget cycle. Sponsored by Rep. Jesse Young, House Bill 2227 establishes $30 car tabs and would limit state and local taxes, fees and other charges relating to vehicles. State laws are vague on armed protests and paramilitaries, but legislators and activists are trying to change that. “That’s what lead me to this, my own sticker shock,” Maietto said. Fey and Hobbs said it’s clear that voters are unhappy with car-tab fees as a means to pay for transit and transportation. Inslee said he was open to working with legislators to make changes to how the state collects car-tab fees going forward, but stopped short of promising an emergency session to address the issue. Also see | I-976 fallout: No plan to delay or defer Sound Transit projects under contract. Tim Eyman's voter approved 30 dollar car tab initiative has been struck down by the state Supreme Court. However, the DOL said it is developing a refund process and will inform drivers who will get a refund. ... as he attends a rally on the first day of the 2020 session of the Washington legislature, ... nowhere in the state would tabs be less than $43.25. Older adults and disabled people who rely on access to transit to maintain their independence will similarly benefit from the ruling, said Leighton, whose organization was one of the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging I-976. Before taking more drastic action, they wanted to wait for the court’s ruling on whether the initiative was valid. The DOL said fees will remain the same for all vehicle registrations that expire before Dec. 5. But most changes from Initiative 976 will not go into effect until Dec. 5. The Washington State Supreme Court has overturned a 2019 voter-backed initiative that would have reduced car tab fees to $30 statewide. The measure could also slash $2 million per year from Pierce County Transit’s paratransit program. But even with I-976 out of the picture, the state doesn’t have enough money to meet all its transportation needs, Fey said. The state’s budget office estimates the passage of I-976 eliminates more than $4 billion in tax revenue by 2025. By NWPB News October 15, 2020 BY MELISSA SANTOS / CROSSCUT For the third time in state history, a measure promising to cut car-tab taxes to $30 a year has been blocked by Washington … Implement $30 car tabs. The Supreme Court ruling is the end of the road for I-976, which was the brainchild of anti-tax activist Tim Eyman. But he urged lawmakers to pass car-tab relief on their own, as they did previously after one of Eyman’s other $30 car-tab measures was struck down by the court. ©2021 Cascade Public Media. Initiative 976 will not go into effect until Dec. 5 had a misleading title, striking it on... 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