The Answer to Washington’s Budget Crisis is Jobs

The Washington State Su- preme Court recently struck down a requirement for a two-thirds vote in the Legis- lature to increase taxes. The two-thirds majority rule had been approved five separate times by voters in a series of initiatives.

The requirement was challenged by a coalition of House Democrats and education groups, who had grown increasingly frus- trated by the inability to "raise revenue" (buzzword in Olympia for raising taxes) to address budget shortfalls.

This year, the Legislature must close a budget short- fall of just under $1 billion. Since the court ruling is still hot off the...