# 2006 Washington Initiative 920

Elections in Washington :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1889
1891
1893
1895 sp
1897
1899
1903
1905
1909
1911
1914
1916
1920
1922
1928
1934
1940
1946
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1983 sp
1986
1988
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1889
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1909
2nd sp
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1923
5th sp
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1947
3rd sp
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
3rd sp
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1975
3rd sp
1976
1977
7th sp
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
1st sp
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2004
2008
2010
2012
2016
2020
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1889
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Lieutenant gubernatorial elections
2020
2024
Secretary of State elections
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2022 sp
2024
Attorney General elections
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
State Treasurer elections
2024
State Auditor elections
2024
Commissioner of Public Lands elections
2024
State Senate elections
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2013
26th sp
2014
2016
2017
45th sp
2018
2020
2022
House of Representatives elections
2006
2008
2010
21st
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
Supreme Court elections
2004
2006
2008
2012 :
Ballot measures
1972
276
2004
872
2006
920
933
937
4223
2007
67
2008
1000
2009
71
2012
74
502
1185
1240
2016
732
2018
1631
1639
2019
976 :
Seattle
Mayoral elections
2005
2009
2013
2017
2021
2025
City Attorney elections
2021
City Council elections
2019
2021
3rd recall
2023
Ballot measures
Sound Transit 3 :
Spokane
Mayoral elections
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
vte :
Initiative 920 (I-920) was a highly controversial campaign to repeal the estate tax in the U.S. state of Washington. Washington state law directs that revenues collected from the estate tax be placed into the Education Legacy Trust account, which funds financial aid for higher education. The initiative failed, with 33.54 percent voting for and 66.46 percent against.

## Supporters

The campaign to get I-920 on the ballot was primarily bankrolled by Martin Selig, a Seattle skyscraper developer, and Dennis Falk, a wealthy former Seattle police officer. Falk's involvement has been particularly controversial. Falk leads the John Birch Society. In 1978, Falk co-chaired Save Our Moral Ethics, an unsuccessful campaign to repeal a law barring housing and employment discrimination against gays and lesbians.
Supporters of I-920 claim the estate tax is an unfair burden on small business. They claim that if small businesses leave Washington, support for local schools will be eroded. They also contend that the 2005 legislature's decision to renew the estate tax contradicted I-402, which was passed in 1981.
Groups supporting I-920 include:
* Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington
* Association of Washington Business (AWB)
* Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce
* D.A. Burns & Sons
* Frank Gurney, Inc.
* GM Nameplate
* Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce

## Opponents

Criticism of I-920 has focused on two main points. First, critics argue that the estate tax is the most efficient way to raise revenue for education and that repealing the tax will compromise educational infrastructure, especially for the poor. Second, critics point out that the tax is graduated and therefore only impacts those most able to pay. They argue that the proponents of I-920 have used the rhetoric of small business interests to create tax breaks for the extremely wealthy. Family farms, for example, are completely exempt from the estate tax. Last year, the Washington Estate Tax affected only 250 of the wealthiest estates.
Groups opposing I-920 include:
* American Federation of Teachers of Washington
* Children's Alliance
* First Place
* International Union of Operating Engineers — Local 609
* League of Education Voters
* League of Women Voters
* Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington State
* Martin Luther King, Jr. County Labor Council, AFL-CIO
* Pierce County Human Services Coalition
* Public School Employees of Washington
* Retired Public Employees Council of Washington
* SEIU #925
* Statewide Poverty Action Network
* Tax Right
* Washington Association of Churches
* Washington Community Action Network
* Washington Education Association
* Washington State Labor Council
* Washington State NOW
* Washington State Parent Teacher Association
* Washington Tax Fairness Coalition

## Results

| Yes | No |
| 207506 | 411149 |
| 33.54% | 66.46% |