In addition, the state charges fees to help pay for a variety of programs including Washington State Patrol traffic enforcement, highway maintenance, ferry operations and maintenance of county roads and bridges. A majority of Puget Sound voters approved that transit expansion, and the increased fees, in 2016. SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington state voters decided they wanted a $30 cap on car tab fees. The measure has been on hold for nearly a year, as legal challenges worked their way through the court system. Also see | Government agencies call I-976 'poorly drafted hodge-podge' in lawsuit. But even with I-976 out of the picture, the state doesn’t have enough money to meet all its transportation needs, Fey said. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. To find out what your specific … In a unanimous ruling, the state’s high court said the measure was unconstitutional because it combined more than one subject in one initiative, something the state constitution forbids. “The average informed lay voter would conclude voter approved taxes — such as  those used to fund local and regional transportation projects across our  state — would remain,” Justice Steven González wrote in the majority opinion. Jay Inslee to call the Legislature into an immediate special session to respond to the court’s ruling. Because of that, legislators should look at alternative ways of raising money going forward, they said. Also see | I-976 fallout: No plan to delay or defer Sound Transit projects under contract. I-976 eliminates the passenger weight fee, motorhome weight fee, transportation benefit district fee, and the 0.3% vehicle retail sales/use tax. Why should I keep my car tuned up to fix emission problems? Your options are: Bring the original or copy of validated Schedule 1 (form 2290) Schedule of Highway Motor Vehicles for the current tax period Eyman had previously proposed two other measures to cut car-tab fees, each of which was similarly thrown out or partially blocked by the courts. In Pierce County, I-976 could disrupt a plan for a $60 million Bus Rapid Transit project that would run along Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. Fey and Hobbs said it’s clear that voters are unhappy with car-tab fees as a means to pay for transit and transportation. The Washington State Supreme Court has struck down the initiative voters passed last year that sought to reduce the cost of car tabs. Older adults and disabled people who rely on access to transit to maintain their independence will similarly benefit from the ruling, said Leighton, whose organization was one of the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging I-976. “We can breathe a little easier,” said state Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee. Car-tab confusion: The state was up to 6 weeks late in mailing 525,600 December renewal bills Dec. 23, 2019 at 6:00 am A 2020 Washington state car tab. I-976 would have wiped out those local taxes, reducing local transportation spending by about $60 million per year. Now, as they grapple with the economic fallout from a global pandemic, high unemployment and the closure of businesses, I-976 is one less thing they have to worry about. About 60 cities and counties charge their own local car-tab fees to pay for road projects and other transportation needs. On October 15, 2020 the Washington State Supreme Court ruled I-976 unconstitutional. Many of those fee increases were approved by voters. However, the DOL said it is developing a refund process and will inform drivers who will get a refund. Facts: Nearly 53% of voters supported I-976 in November 2019. If your vehicle registration is due before Dec. 5, the DOL said you should pay the amount listed on your renewal notice. What’s next for the two WA Republicans who voted to impeach Trump? Find out how to renew your vehicle tabs and registration. Mossback's Northwest: The bootleg sake of Prohibition-era Seattle, Disproportionately hit by COVID-19, WA Latinos brace for vaccine, Washington hosts first climate assembly in the United States, Amazon’s housing philanthropy will not save us, WA Supreme Court rules $30 car tab initiative is unconstitutional, Uber’s price hike signals a bigger, more expensive fight to come, Washington state lawmakers look for ways to limit armed militias, Armed protesters in Olympia occupy Capitol steps, governor’s mansion lawn, Podcast | The assault on Olympic National Park’s square inch of silence, Rep. 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I-976 ($30 car tab) ruled unconstitutional. On Thursday, the state Supreme Court struck down Initiative 976, a measure Washington voters approved last November to reduce the cost of annual vehicle licensing fees. Driving a vehicle with modified emissions controls or a vehicle that smokes is still illegal in Washington. Sponsored by Rep. Jesse Young, House Bill 2227 establishes $30 car tabs and would limit state and local taxes, fees and other charges relating to vehicles. The DOL said it is still “working to understand the effects of this lawsuit and any injunctions that may be issued.”. That is the latest deadline spelled out in I-976, but Eyman said the state is misinterpreting the initiative and car owners across the state should all start paying $30 for their car tabs on Dec. 6. It wasn’t immediately clear what those options might be. Renew your WA vehicle tabs online, sign up for email reminders, or extend your tabs if you're on military duty when they expire. The measure could also slash $2 million per year from Pierce County Transit’s paratransit program. All Rights Reserved. The state is also trying to find a way to pay for a new bridge over the Columbia River at Interstate 5 in Vancouver. He said the state transportation budget now is projected to lose another $500 million or so in the next two years because of the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. ... as he attends a rally on the first day of the 2020 session of the Washington legislature, ... nowhere in the state would tabs be less than $43.25. But most changes from Initiative 976 will not go into effect until Dec. 5. Most of that money was expected to be spent on transit and nonroad projects. In addition to cutting car-tab fees, I-976 also would have eliminated a 0.3% sales tax charged on vehicle sales. The Washington State Supreme Court has overturned a 2019 voter-backed initiative that would have reduced car tab fees to $30 statewide. As the $30 car tabs initiative (I-976) votes continue to roll in, the state Department of Licensing says you are not going to see the impact right away. Voters approved the initiative that caps car tabs fees to $30 during the Nov. 5 general election. We will continue to collect all current vehicle fees and taxes. The state’s budget office estimates the passage of I-976 eliminates more than $4 billion in tax revenue by 2025. Washington state voters have approved a measure cutting car tabs to $30, a move that will cut billions of dollars from transportation budgets and leave governments scrambling for a … Starting Jan. 2, 2020, an emission test is no longer required to renew your vehicle tabs. No. Plaintiff Sid Maietto said his family’s car tab fees jumped from $450 dollars in 2016 to $1,100 in 2017. January 21, 2020. Earlier this month a DOL spokesperson told KING 5 that car owners in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties will continue to pay the Sound Transit RTA tax until March 31, 2020. That’s largely why legislators have leaned on car-tab revenues to pay for those things. Sound Transit is preparing for up to $20 billion in losses for future transportation projects. Rep. Larry Hoff on $30 car tabs, parental rights, and the state’s homelessness crisis. State officials had estimated I-976 would cause state and local governments to lose about $4.2 billion in revenue for transportation and transit projects over the next six years. Inslee to assess if Washington National Guard still needed at state Capitol after Biden inauguration, NBA commissioner, team owners talk league expansion and valuation, Mariners GM Dipoto moving at slower pace this offseason, Trump pardons former White House adviser Steve Bannon, dozens of others, 'I am just so proud': Puget Sound-area Alpha Kappa Alpha members celebrate Kamala Harris on Inauguration Day, I-976 fallout: No plan to delay or defer Sound Transit projects under contract, Government agencies call I-976 'poorly drafted hodge-podge' in lawsuit. Beginning this month, hybrid-vehicle owners in Washington state will start paying an annual $75 car-tab fee to finance electric-car charging stations they’ll never use. Court considers fate of $30 car tabs initiative. (Matt M. McKnight/Crosscut). Learn about tab renewal costs and donations you can make when you renew. 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