A Washington Senate committee is set to hold a public hearing Tuesday on a bill dubbed “the initiative killer” that would add new onerous requirements for citizen initiatives and expand enforcement tools aimed at regulating how signatures are gathered.
Senate Bill 5973, scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections, would require initiative and referendum sponsors to submit at least 1,000 voter signatures at the time of filing, before the state issues an official ballot title.
🚨Bad Bill Action Alert🚨
SB 5973 Initiative Killer 2.0 now has a public hearing.Olympia Democrats have already shown how much they don't like dissent by unwinding multiple citizen initiatives they themselves voted for.
Senate Majority Democrat Jamie Pedersen recently called… pic.twitter.com/VrxrNzrPwr— Future 42 (@future42org) January 17, 2026
Under current practice, sponsors may file proposed initiative language before collecting signatures. SB 5973 would move part of that burden to the beginning of the process, requiring sponsors to gather and submit signatures that must be verified by the Secretary of State before the measure can proceed to the ballot-title stage.
The bill also tightens rules around paid signature gathering. It would prohibit paying signature gatherers based on the number of signatures collected, while allowing compensation structures not tied to signature totals.
In addition, SB 5973 authorizes private individuals to bring civil lawsuits on behalf of the state if they believe the compensation rules have been violated. Civil penalties could reach up to $10,000 per violation, and prevailing plaintiffs could recover attorneys’ fees and costs.
The proposal comes amid increased political focus on Washington’s initiative system, which allows citizens to place measures before voters or petition the Legislature directly. In recent years, initiative campaigns have been used to challenge major policy decisions enacted by the Legislature.
Critics of SB 5973 argue the measure would make it more difficult for grassroots or citizen-led campaigns to use the initiative process by requiring organization, funding, and legal planning earlier—before sponsors know the final ballot title that will appear on petitions and in voter materials. They also warn the lawsuit provision could increase legal risk during tight campaign timelines.
A companion measure, House Bill 2259, proposes similar changes in the House, while HB 2260 would further revise signature collection and verification requirements, including new declarations for petition circulators.
The legislation is sponsored by Democrats in an effort to combat the very successful efforts of organizations like Let’s Go Washington that have collected millions of signatures for initiatives to rollback the left’s radical agenda.
Through the initiative process, Washingtonians were able to reinstate police pursuits and are now trying to protect parental rights and keep boys out of girls’ sports.
After the latest two Let’s Go Washington initiatives were formally submitted to the Secretary of State, top Democratic leaders in the Washington Legislature announced they will not hold hearings on either measure and may face legal action.
