Initiative 1433 - NO
Increasing the minimum wage artificially inflates the price of goods without long term benefit to the employee. It feeds an inflationary cycle where the market adapts by increasing costs and a cycle begins again where entry level wages never seem high enough. The only real solution for increased wages is for the employee to train, educate, and become competitive for higher paying jobs. This Initiative will be hardest on small business employers who cannot readily absorb the increased overhead, forcing them to cut hours. This will result in more unemployed at the entry level and increased difficulty in finding entry level work because employers will begin looking for more skilled labor they don't have to train in order to compensate for the higher wage. This initiative also requires even very small businesses to provide paid sick leave to even part time employees. More small businesses will find it harder to survive and choose to go out of business.
Initiative 1464 - NO
Essentially this Initiative creates a new tax increase and government managed program that forces an individual taxpayer to financially support a campaign they may not agree with. The tax increase is expected to raise $285 Million to give to politicians instead of important needs like schools or mental health - just another wealth distribution scheme that steals your money and gives your voice to someone else.
Initiative 1491 - NO
This initiative is Orwellian gun control.
This is a complex and difficult issue because everyone agrees that gun violence is a bad thing. The reality is that if someone is deemed a likely danger to himself or others, then why aren't they getting treatment? This initiative is easy on the taking, soft on due process, and absent on mental health care. There is also no sunset clause to a confiscation of weapons - the person subject to confiscation must apply and bear the costs to get their rights back.
Initiative 1501 - NO
On the guise of protecting the privacy of the vulnerable, which most of us appreciate, it exempts labor unions and government agencies. Think about it - in the name of protecting personally identifying information the government and labor unions get access to all of it but citizen activists like the Freedom Foundation don't? This measure was designed only to protect labor union control and the ability to collect dues, and was well funded by the SEIU.
Initiative 732 - NO
This initiative is a new carbon emission tax. Whether you believe in climate change or not, you can't tax yourself out of a problem. We have far more pressing issues in our state budget, and this measure would blow a hole in it. It hurts poor working families, kills jobs, and dumps more taxes on an already over-taxed Washington.
Initiative 735 - NO
This initiative basically requests of our representatives to add an amendment to the constitution that says spending your money on a campaign of your choice is not free speech. This will lead to increased government control and censorship.
Advisory Vote 14 - REPEALED
Advisory Vote 15 - REPEALED
Senate Joint Resolution 8210 - APPROVED
This resolution would simply require the redistricting commission, who meets every ten years to redistribute district lines, to complete their work 46 days earlier. This resolution changes the date for convenience.
(NOTE: Included in the list below are the candidates that we recommend, and are not necessarily candidates we have endorsed. RLC endorsements are only considered by request, and given after a vetting process. Our endorsed candidates are specified below.)
President - Donald J. Trump
CD 4 U.S. Representative - Clint Didier (National RLC Endorsed, 2014)
Governor - Bill Bryant
Lt. Governor - Marty McClendon
Secretary of State - Kim Wyman
State Treasurer - Duane Davidson
State Auditor - Mark Miloscia
Attorney General - Joshua Trumbull
Commissioner of Public Lands - Steve McLaughlin
Insurance Commissioner - Richard Schrock
LD 13 Representative, Position 2 - Matt Manweller
LD 14 Senator - Amanda Richards (YCRLC and RLCWA Endorsed, 2016)
LD 14 Representative, Position 2 - Gina McCabe
LD 15 Representative, Position 1 - Bruce Chandler
LD 15 Representative, Position 2 - David Taylor (YCRLC Endorsed, 2014)
Yakima County Commissioner, District 1 - Eric Geary (YCRLC Endorsed, 2016)
Yakima County Commissioner, District 2 - Debra Manjarrez
State Supreme Court Justice, Position 1 - David DeWolf
State Supreme Court Justice, Position 5 - Greg Zempel
State Supreme Court Justice, Position 6 - Dave Larson
Yakima County Superior Court Judge, Department 3 - Alex Newhouse
