2024 Washington Initiative 2124
{{Short description|Proposal to make employee participation in state long-term care program voluntary}}
{{Infobox referendum
|date = November 5, 2024
|name = Initiative 2124
|question = 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.
| yes = 1,668,435
| no = 2,077,216
| total = 3,745,651
| map = {{switcher |250px |County results |250px |Congressional district results |250px |Precinct results}}
| mapcaption =
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
Yes
{{legend|#2B2457|90–100% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#28497C|80–90% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#47729E|70–80% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#7D9CBB|60–70% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#B6C8D9|50–60% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{col-3}}
No
{{legend|#32320C|90–100% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#5D5D2D|80–90% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#8B8B54|70–80% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#BCBC83|60–70% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#DEDEBD|50–60% |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{col-3}}
Other
{{legend|#EBEEED|Tie |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{legend|#808080|No votes |border=1px #AAAAAA solid}}
{{col-end}}
|yes_text=✔ Yes|no_text=✖ No}}
Initiative No. 2124 (I-2124) was a ballot initiative in the US State of Washington that appeared on the November 5, 2024 ballot. The initiative, if passed, would have made participation in Washington's state-run long term health insurance program (WA Cares) voluntary rather than mandatory.{{Cite web |last=Stang |first=John |title=Initiative 2124 would make the WA Cares insurance tax optional {{!}} Cascade PBS |url=https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/10/initiative-2124-would-make-wa-cares-insurance-tax-optional |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=www.cascadepbs.org |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-28 |title=Meet the hedge fund manager upending WA politics with 6 voter initiatives |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/6-initiatives-head-to-wa-ballot-with-6m-support-of-brian-heywood/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}
Background
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.{{Cite web |title=LTSS Trust Commission {{!}} WA Cares Fund |url=https://wacaresfund.wa.gov/about/commission |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=wacaresfund.wa.gov |language=en}} 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).{{Cite web |date=2024-02-21 |title=If you leave WA, you could still be eligible for WA Cares. But the program faces a ballot test |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/wa-cares-if-it-survives-could-benefit-people-who-retire-elsewhere/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Santos |first=Melissa |date=October 7, 2024 |title=I-2124 would make Washington's long-term care program optional |url=https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/10/07/washington-long-term-care-program-voluntary |access-date=October 31, 2024 |work=Axios Seattle}} 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. Workers pay a 0.58% tax on their income (which began in July 2023) and become eligible for the benefits in July of 2026.{{Cite web |last=Demkovich |first=Laurel |date=2024-05-07 |title=WA decides: Initiative 2124 to make the state's long-term care program optional • Washington State Standard |url=https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/05/07/wa-decides-initiative-2124-to-make-the-states-long-term-care-program-optional/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Washington State Standard |language=en-US}}
WA Cares became one of six issues selected by the Let's Go Washington PAC in 2023 to be included in an initiative petition campaign. The argument made by the organization was that the existing benefit was inadequate to meet citizen needs and that the benefits were not portable.{{Cite web |last=Lotmore |first=Mario |date=2023-12-29 |title=Let's Go Washington turns in over 2.6 million signatures for all six landmark initiatives |url=https://lynnwoodtimes.com/2023/12/28/lets-go-washington-231228/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Lynnwood Times |language=en-US}} 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.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-29 |title=Effort to repeal WA capital gains tax, other initiatives move forward |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/effort-to-repeal-wa-capital-gains-tax-other-initiatives-move-forward/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}} I-2124 was the last of the six initiatives to be submitted for consideration.{{Cite web |last=O’Sullivan |first=Joseph |title=Six measures Washington conservatives are pushing on 2024 ballots {{!}} Cascade PBS |url=https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2023/12/six-measures-washington-conservatives-are-pushing-2024-ballots |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=www.cascadepbs.org |language=en}} I-2124 was certified by the Secretary of State on January 23, 2024, and introduced to the state legislature on January 29, 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-23 |title=WA's capital gains tax one step closer to November ballot |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/effort-to-place-was-capital-gains-tax-on-november-ballot-advances/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Washington State Legislature |url=https://app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/?BillNumber=2124&Year=2023&Initiative=true |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=app.leg.wa.gov}} 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.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-14 |title=Repeals of WA capital gains tax, climate policy take step toward November ballot |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/wa-lawmakers-wont-hear-testimony-on-climate-policy-capital-gains-repeal-efforts/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-02-16 |title=Lawmakers won't act on WA long-term care ballot initiative |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/lawmakers-wont-act-on-wa-long-term-care-ballot-initiative/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}
Language and impact
I-2117 placed the following question before the citizens of Washington:{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Initiatives & Referendums - Elections & Voting - WA Secretary of State |url=https://www2.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/initiatives.aspx?y=2023&t=l |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=www.sos.wa.gov}}
{{quote|
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 have created an opt-out option which would repeal the payroll tax for those opting out but also make them ineligible for the benefit.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-28 |title=What happens if voters decide to make WA Cares optional |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/i-2124-would-make-wa-cares-optional-what-happens-next/ |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}} 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.
Support for I-2124
As of October 31, 2024, Let's Go Washington and the Taxpayers Accountability Alliance are registered as sponsors of the initiative.{{Cite web |title=Committees {{!}} Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) |url=https://www.pdc.wa.gov/political-disclosure-reporting-data/browse-search-data/committees?ballot_number=2124 |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=www.pdc.wa.gov}}
Opposition to I-2124
Public opinion on I-2124
Results
I-2124 failed with less than 45% of ballots cast in favor.{{cite web |title=Official Canvass of the Returns |url=https://www.sos.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/Official%20Canvass%20of%20the%20Returns%20G2024_%20Certification%2012%2004%202024.pdf |publisher=Secretary of State of Washington |access-date=4 December 2024}}