Eyman's gambling initiative makes fall ballot

OLYMPIA -- Anti-tax activist Tim Eyman's initiative to expand gambling and lower property taxes has made it onto the fall ballot. Initiative 892 would allow nontribal businesses to have electronic slot machines, which currently are allowed only in tribal casinos. A 35 percent user fee on the machines would pay for lowering property taxes. Nontribal casino companies have supported the initiative campaign, while tribes in Washington state are fighting against it. A coalition of liberal and conservative civic leaders has banded together to oppose the measure, saying expanded gambling would hurt the state's quality of life. Eyman has said it's a win-win initiative - lower taxes without service cuts. In a prepared statement e-mailed to reporters on Tuesday, Eyman said I-892 would provide "meaningful tax relief to struggling working families and fixed-income senior citizens." Sponsors of I-892 submitted about 274,300 signatures, and spot checks by the secretary of state's office determined they had 215,100 valid signatures. The minimum signature requirement is about 198,000. The gambling initiative is the fifth to make this year's ballot. Voters will also decide whether to increase the sales tax to fund education; whether Washington should have charter schools; what sort of primary the state will have; and how the state should handle Hanford nuclear reservation cleanup.