2024 Washington Initiative 2124
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This measure would provide that employees and self-employed people must elect to keep coverage under RCW 50B.04 and could opt-out any time. It would also repeal a law governing an exemption for employees. | ||
| Outcome | TBD | |
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Initiative No. 2124 (I-2124) is a ballot initiative in the US State of Washington that appeared the ballot on November 5, 2024. The initiative, if passed, would make participation in Washington's state-run long term health insurance program (WA Cares) voluntary rather than mandatory.[1] The initiative was one of six brought to the state legislature by Let's Go Washington, a Redmond-based political action committee founded by businessman and hedge fund manager Brian Heywood.[2]
Background
[edit]The program known as WA Cares has its roots in the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Act (Trust Act), which the Washington state legislature passed in 2019.[3] WA Cares is a program is a first-in-the-nation program that provides coverage for long term care costs for Washingtonians, though with a lifetime maximum benefit that started at $36,500 (and whose cap was indexed to inflation).[4][5] Under the Trust Act, all workers in the state would be required to contribute to the program unless they had acquired private long term care insurance by 2021.[4] Workers pay a 0.58% tax on their income (which began in July 2023) and become eligible for the benefits in July of 2026.[6]
WA Cares became one of six issues selected by the Let's Go Washington PAC in 2025 to be included in an initiative petition campaign.[2] The argument made by the organization was that the existing benefit was inadequate to meet citizen needs and that the benefits were not portable.[7] A total of 2.6 million signatures were collected across the 6 issues, including the WA Cares repeal effort, which cleared 324,516 signature threshold required for issue consideration for the 2024 election cycle.[8] I-2124 was the last of the six initiatives to be submitted for consideration.[9] I-2124 was certified by the Secretary of State on January 23, 2024, and introduced to the state legislature on January 29, 2024.[10][11] In February of 2024, Democratic legislative leaders ruled out any movement on I-2124 in the legislature itself, putting the initiative on track for consideration by the public during the 2024 general election.[12][13]
Language and Impact
[edit]I-2117 places the following question before the citizens of Washington:[14]
Initiative Measure No. 2124 concerns state long term care insurance.
This measure would provide that employees and self-employed people must elect to keep coverage under RCW 50B.04 and could opt-out any time. It would also repeal a law governing an exemption for employees.
Should this measure be enacted into law? Yes [ ] No [ ]
If passed, I-2124 would create an opt-out option which would repeal the payroll tax for those opting out but also make them ineligible for the benefit.[15] However, the decrease in payroll tax revenues could create what some insurers call a "death spiral", causing the program to become insolvent within a few years of beginning to pay out benefits.[15]
Support for I-2124
[edit]As of October 31, 2024, Let's Go Washington and the Taxpayers Accountability Alliance are registered as sponsors of the initiative.[16]
Opposition to I-2124
[edit]As of October 31, 2024, the 45th district Democratic Party, the AARP No on I-2124 Committee, Defend Washington, Fuse Voters, the No on 2124 PAC, Protect Washington, the SEIU 775 Ballot Fund, and the Stop Greed PAC are registered as opponents of the initiative.[16]
Public Opinion on I-2124
[edit]| Poll | Sponsor | Dates | Margin of Error | Mode | Sample Size | Support | Oppose | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[17] | Seattle Times, King 5, & UW Center for an Informed Public | Oct 9-Oct 14, 2024 | ±5% | Online | 703 LV | 28% | 49% | 23% |
| Elway[18] | Cascade PBS | Oct 8-Oct 12, 2024 | ±5% | Live Phone & Text | 401 LV | 45% | 33% | 22% |
| Elway[19] | Cascade PBS | Sept. 3-Sept. 6, 2024 | ±5% | Live Phone & Text | 403 RV | 39% | 33% | 27% |
| SurveyUSA[20] | Seattle Times, King 5, & UW Center for an Informed Public | July 10-July13, 2024 | ±5% | Online | 708 LV | 52% | 27% | 22% |
| Scott Rasmussen National Survey[21] | May 20-May 23, 2024 | ±3.5% | 800 RV | 58% | 29% | 14% | ||
| Elway | Cascade PBS | May 13-May 16, 2024 | ±5% | Live Phone & Text | 403 RV | 47% | 25% | 28% |
| GBAO Strategies[22] | Defend Washington | April 11-April 14, 2024 | ±4% | Live Phone & Text | 600 LV | 41% | 49% | 10% |
Results
[edit]I-2124 will be decided during the Washington state general elections on November 5th, 2024.
References
[edit]- ^ Stang, John. "Initiative 2124 would make the WA Cares insurance tax optional | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ a b "Meet the hedge fund manager upending WA politics with 6 voter initiatives". The Seattle Times. 2024-01-28. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ "LTSS Trust Commission | WA Cares Fund". wacaresfund.wa.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-15.
- ^ a b "If you leave WA, you could still be eligible for WA Cares. But the program faces a ballot test". The Seattle Times. 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ Santos, Melissa (October 7, 2024). "I-2124 would make Washington's long-term care program optional". Axios Seattle. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
- ^ Demkovich, Laurel (2024-05-07). "WA decides: Initiative 2124 to make the state's long-term care program optional • Washington State Standard". Washington State Standard. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ Lotmore, Mario (2023-12-29). "Let's Go Washington turns in over 2.6 million signatures for all six landmark initiatives". Lynnwood Times. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "Effort to repeal WA capital gains tax, other initiatives move forward". The Seattle Times. 2023-12-29. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ O’Sullivan, Joseph. "Six measures Washington conservatives are pushing on 2024 ballots | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "WA's capital gains tax one step closer to November ballot". The Seattle Times. 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "Washington State Legislature". app.leg.wa.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "Repeals of WA capital gains tax, climate policy take step toward November ballot". The Seattle Times. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "Lawmakers won't act on WA long-term care ballot initiative". The Seattle Times. 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "Initiatives & Referendums - Elections & Voting - WA Secretary of State". www.sos.wa.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ a b "What happens if voters decide to make WA Cares optional". The Seattle Times. 2024-10-28. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ a b "Committees | Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC)". www.pdc.wa.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "New poll shows where WA voters stand on 3 key initiatives". The Seattle Times. 2024-10-21. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ Buhain, Venice. "WA voters poised to reject two initiatives, accept other two | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ Sowersby, Shauna. "Washington ballot initiatives lose ground with voters in new poll | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ "SurveyUSA News Poll #27198". www.surveyusa.com. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ Square, Brett Davis | The Center (2024-06-19). "Poll indicates voter support for three initiatives on Washington's fall ballot". The Center Square. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ GBAO (May 14, 2024). "Poll Analysis: WA Voters Reject Heywood Initiatives". Politico.