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Washington State Attorney General's Office Releases Memo on I-695

25 October 1999

ADVISORY/Washington State Attorney General's Office Releases Memorandum on I-695

    OLYMPIA, Wash.--Oct. 22, 1999--Many state agencies have asked the Attorney General's Office how specific taxes, fees, or other charges imposed or administered by those agencies will be impacted by I-695 if it is enacted.
    Because of these requests for advice and guidance, the Attorney General's Office has prepared a memorandum that will provide assistant attorneys general with a common frame work for analyzing certain issues raised by I-695.
    The memorandum outlines possible approaches to interpretation, but concludes that the provisions of I-695, which require voter approval for new or increased state and local taxes, fees, and charges, are sufficiently ambiguous that it will be very difficult for assistant attorneys general to provide definitive advice on the applicability of I-695 for various types of taxes, fees, and charges.
    The memorandum also suggests that legal divisions should advise state agencies to plan for significant controversy and litigation should I-695 become law. The ambiguities can be clarified conclusively only through litigation, which may take considerable time, or by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature on clarifying legislation.
    Copies of the memorandum and this advisory are available on the AG's homepage at www.wa.gov/ago.