Politics is a contact sport. That’s not news to Tim Eyman or Mike and Jack Fagan, who run Voters Want More Choices, the Washington State group behind the Taxpayer Protection Initiative, known as I-960 on this November’s ballot.

Thirteen years ago, these gents helped pass Initiative-601, requiring a two-thirds vote of the legislature to pass any tax increase. Says Eyman, “Despite repeated Chicken Little, sky-is-falling predictions by opponents and many in the media, I-601 has worked well. But during the past 13 years, the Legislature has punched loophole after loophole into it.”

Legislators have gone so far as to declare tax bills to be emergencies and even placed tax increases off-budget to avoid the controls of I-601.

I-960 closes the loopholes. It allows tax increases only by two-thirds legislative vote or a vote of the people, mandates public notice of any pending tax legislation, and ensures at least an advisory public vote, even when the Legislature attempts to block a binding one by declaring a tax increase to be an “emergency.”

Now, the usual suspects (politicians and special interests) are kicking up a fuss. For instance, they claim in the state voters’ pamphlet that I-960 will leave state government “vulnerable” to “recession, pandemic flu, or even terrorist attacks.”

What I-960’s opponents truly fear, of course, is vulnerability to the voters.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

• Episode Number: 1906
• Publication Date: 1/1/1990