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Washington voters deliver a resounding "NO" on I-1033

For Immediate Release

November 3, 2009

Contacts:

Scott Whiteaker ("No on 1033” campaign), 206-303-9716

Jason Erskine (AARP), 206-517-9345

Voters reject Eyman’s Initiative 1033

No on 1033 campaign declares victory

(Seattle, WA) – The No on 1033 campaign is pleased to announce that voters today rejected Eyman’s Initiative 1033 with 55 percent of the vote (and counting).

“Voters have seen the impacts of the recession in their classrooms, communities and businesses, and understood that Eyman’s initiative would have made things worse,” said Doug Shadel, president of AARP Washington. “I believe that’s why we saw tonight’s rejection of Initiative 1033.”

The No on 1033 campaign coalition was made up of more than 270 labor unions, businesses, environmental groups, education advocates, chambers of commerce, health care organizations and others who all agreed that I-1033 would have gone too far and cut too deep.

“Hospitals, health care workers, community clinics, and nurses just couldn’t afford Initiative 1033. But the people who would have been hurt worst by this initiative are our patients. The work to defeat this initiative was for them,” said Cassie Sauer, vice president of the Washington State Hospital Association.

With the full support of this coalition, the No on 1033 campaign ran an aggressive statewide operation to educate voters about the impact I-1033 would have in their communities. The campaign and coalition members called 295,341 voters in the final six weeks of the election, canvassed in dozens of cities, and advertised on television statewide.

“Tonight voters rejected I-1033 because it would have slashed funding for students and schools by millions, if not billions. Washington voters know we should be investing in public education, not cutting it,” said Mary Lindquist, Washington Education Association president.

This effort led to the precipitous drop in support for the initiative that led to tonight’s victory in a just over one month: just four weeks ago, a KING5/Survey USA poll and Rasmussen poll by Eyman’s campaign showed Initiative 1033 with a double-digit lead.

“With Initiative 1033’s failure, we can ensure Washington’s infrastructure, colleges and universities remain competitive with other states and nations around the globe,” said George Allen of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce.