The fight over defending $30 car tabs

The Washington State Attorney Generals Office is asking the state Supreme Court to allow voter-approved car-tab tax cuts to take effect this week, despite a lower-court ruling putting the cuts on hold. The Seattle Times reports the state filed an emergency motion Monday saying Washington voters wishes are being stymied by a King County Superior Court judges decision to stop Initiative 976 from taking effect while a legal fight over the initiatives constitutionality plays out. On Tuesday, initiative sponsor Tim Eyman and his allies filed their own request to vacate the lower courts injunction and move the case to the state Supreme Court. Voters last month approved I-976, the statewide measure that calls for lowering many vehicle registration fees to $30, rolling back car-tab taxes that fund Sound Transit and doing away with local car-tab fees. Much of the measure was set to take effect Dec. 5. Seattle, King County and a handful of other groups sued, saying the measure is unconstitutional. King County Superior Court Judge Marshall Ferguson sided with the groups last week, temporarily blocking I-976 from taking effect but not yet ruling on the initiative itself. In Mondays filing, the Attorney Generals Office calls the lower courts injunction legally flawed and says I-976 will result in substantial savings to Washington vehicle owners. Local governments like Seattle can use reserves or other taxes to make up for the losses theyll suffer from car-tab cuts in the immediate term, the office argues.