I-976: $30 car tab measure passing in early returns

A Washington state initiative that would slash car tabs to $30 and leave the state and local governments scrambling to pay for road paving and other transportation projects was passing in early returns Tuesday. Returns showed Initiative 976 passing after the first votes were tallied in the all mail election. Sponsored by Tim Eyman, the measure would cap most taxes paid through annual vehicle registration at $30 and largely revoke the authority of state and local governments to add new taxes and fees without voter approval. The measure would also repeal taxes and fees that were already in place, which could cost the state and local governments more than $4 billion in revenue over the next six years, according to the state Office of Financial Management. King County, the state's most populous, was strongly rejecting I-976 but most other counties were approving it by health margins. Eyman says people are fed up with rising car tab costs.