Due to the gargantuan effort that gathered 546,002 signatures in just 46 days, LGW and supporters surpassed the goal of gathering 324,516 signatures in record time

OLYMPIA – On Wednesday (July 24), Let’s Go Washington (LGW) announced that the Secretary of State’s office has officially certified I-2066 for November’s ballot. Due to the gargantuan effort that gathered 546,002 signatures in just 46 days, LGW and supporters surpassed the goal of gathering 324,516 signatures in record time and over half of the signers were unique.  

“I-2066 is a response to the desperate attempts of Jay Inslee to impose his legacy over what is best for Washingtonians,” said Brian Heywood, LGW founder. “In a sense, this initiative gives legislators a do-over. We know that Inslee was twisting arms and forcing representatives to pass a bill that their constituents didn’t support. Inslee’s personal agenda was at stake and he just couldn’t fathom putting the will of the people over his personal policy goals. People are tired of having Olympia decide what’s best for them and the hundreds of thousands of signatures prove that they are ready to take action. ”

Even after the final drop off on July 5, petitions continued to pour in with thousands of additional signatures. According to a statement from Let’s Go Washington, this is a clear sign that Washington voters intend to voice their disapproval of the late night arm twisting in Olympia to pass “hot mess” HB 1589. The bill allows too much power to be forfeited to Puget Sound Energy and though voters could not stop Inslee from persuading his members to vote with him, voters will have their say in November.

Here are just a few of the reasons people support I-2066: 

• Protects the use of natural gas and energy choice and goes beyond a simple repeal of HB 1589
• Natural gas is 33% cheaper to use than electricity
• Will save Washingtonians tens of thousands of dollars for each home or business they will be forced to retrofit to electric
• Guarantees that people will have access to staying warm and having the ability to cook their food in the event of a power outage

Let’s Go Washington officials added that “this is a historic victory for LGW and supporters of energy choice around the state. Advocates and volunteers, in partnership with LGW, have done something monumental in getting seven initiatives to qualify for November’s ballots and the polling has proven that LGW is on the right track. By November, every voter will understand the importance of voting yes to pay less on all four initiatives.’’ 

Visit letsgowashington.com for more information.