It Starts with a Signature
Washington State has several important initiatives in the works for getting common sense back into our communities! The drive is on NOW and the three initiatives cover: a requirement for proof of citizenship, improved communication between parents and schools, and protecting fairness in girls’ sports. One month is all we have, as the initiatives are due back for summarizing December 19th prior to going to Olympia. See below for more details.
Where to Sign? Here in Tri-Cities you can sign all three petitions at the Benton County Republican Party monthly meeting, December 4th, at 7 p.m. at 1520 Fowler Street in Richland. The Voter ID initiative can also be signed at Ace Hardware stores located at:
- 103 Keene Road, Richland
- 1415 George Washington Way, Richland
- 801 W. Columbia St., Pasco
Initiative IL26-126: Requiring Proof of Citizenship When Registering to Vote in WA
Initiative Measure IL26-126, sponsored by Jim Walsh, concerns heightened voter registration requirements for applicants and currently registered voters This popular reform proposal is an Initiative to the Legislature. That means, if enough signatures are collected by the end of 2025, it will be presented to the WA State Legislature like a bill in early 2026. If Olympia does not pass IL26-126 into law, the initiative goes to the people for a vote on the November 2026 general election ballot. The Initiative would:
- Require proof of citizenship when people register to vote in WA.
- Clean up voter rolls (databases) in all 39 Washington counties.
- Strengthen the security of WA’s Vote By Mail system.
- Restore trust and confidence in WA’s elections.
Petitions are due back by December 22nd to 11911 NE 1st Street, Suite B201, Bellevue, WA 98005. For more details on what IL26-126 does and doesn’t do, check out the link below.
Initiative IL26-126: Improved Communication Between Parents and Schools
Ballot Measure Summary
This measure, sponsored by Let’s Go Washington, would re-enact RCW 28A.605.005 as it was originally enacted in Initiative to the Legislature 2081. The re-enacted law would list certain rights of parents and guardians of public-school children, including rights to review materials and student records, receive certain notifications and opt students out of certain activities. It would repeal amendments to the statute, which modified school obligations and access to certain student records and added certain parental rights.
Initiative IL26-638: Protect Fairness in Girls' Sports
Ballot Measure Summary
This measure is, also sponsored by Let’s Go Washington, would require policies prohibiting students it defines as “biologically male” from competing with or against female students in certain interschool athletic activities that are intended for female students only. Students who choose to participate in such activities must provide a statement from the student’s healthcare provider verifying the student’s biological sex, based on reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or normal endogenously produced testosterone levels. These requirements would apply to individual or team athletic competitions.