ACLU teams with Washington State Dems to intimidate signature gatherers for ballot initiatives

The citizens’ advocacy group “Let’s Go Washington” recently turned in over 400,000 signatures for Initiative 2117 to repeal the Democrat-supported carbon tax which has caused a massive spike in gas prices that, over the summer, briefly passed California to become the highest in the US.

The group has five other ballot measures currently collecting signatures and are on track to hit their goal.

The concern among Washington Democrats is that these common-sense initiatives could undo their radical legislation that restricted police pursuits, imposed a capital gains tax and attempts to impose a state income tax, restricted parental rights, and imposed a payroll tax for a state long-term care plan that is already insolvent.

Progressives are concerned that with the gas tax repeal headlining the common-sense initiatives, voters could undo the majority of their legislative “wins.”

On Tuesday, Washington Democrats posted on X a “hotline to report signature gatherers” to “defeat the MAGA GOP’s extreme ballot measures,” and encouraged their followers to “decline to sign” the initiatives.

https://twitter.com/washdems/status/1732150658722148717?s=20

The Washington ACLU also posted the number for the hotline to report the signature gatherers, hoping to stop the initiatives seeking to restore police pursuits and parental rights in the state.

https://twitter.com/mrandystevens/status/1732209878062833676?s=20

The move was slammed by conservatives, with many posting on social media for Washington Republicans to overwhelm the hotline with phony reports.

Over the summer, Republican state lawmakers requested Washington’s Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and Democratic Attorney General Bob Ferguson to investigate alleged incidents of intimidation of signature gatherers who opposed Senate Bill 5599 which allowed the state to hide runaway children from their parents if the minors come to Washington seeking “gender-affirming” care or an abortion.

They reference a letter sent to Hobbs from UnDivided host Brandi Kruse in which the journalist alleged leaders of the local Democratic Party “…have engaged in and encouraged harassment of signature gatherers.”

https://twitter.com/BrandiKruse/status/1729330251279548555?s=20

Kruse alleged that opposing protesters intimidated and harassed signature gatherers, including calling them names and photographing volunteers. She referred to state law, which makes it a gross misdemeanor for anyone attempting to interfere with a voter who wants to sign, or not sign, an initiative or referendum petition or vote on such measures.

Hobbs claimed in his response that his office does not have the authority or the funding to investigate or enforce suspected violations of the law in question.