Government
From the beginning, our constitutional republic was built on the belief that the people themselves hold the power to steer government. In Washington State, initiatives and referendums achieve that principle. When someone asks you to add your name to one of these types of petitions, they are asking you to help decide which proposals should move forward to the legislature or, in some cases, to the ballot.
In Washington, the initiative is a citizen-sponsored vehicle to propose new legislation or constitutional amendments through gathering signatures and putting the measure directly to a vote. By contrast, a referendum is a way to approve or reject laws passed by the legislature, but it originates with the government.
- Initiatives to the People, (direct initiatives), require a certain number of certified signatures, and then are submitted for a vote of the people at the next state general election.
- Initiatives to the Legislature, (indirect initiatives), if certified, are submitted to the legislature in early January. If Olympia does not pass the initiative into law then it goes to the people for a vote on the November 2026 general election ballot.
Three initiatives are currently circulating throughout Washington State for signatures. They are focused on strengthening parent/school communications, fairness in girls’ sports, and requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote in Washington State.
Petitioners have until January 2, 2026, to collect nearly 309,000 valid signatures for each initiative, but are encouraged to return the petitions by no later than December 19, 2025, to be processed.
Amid recent confrontations involving petition circulators, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs issued a reminder that, “Signature gathering is a right. Every voter deserves to participate in our democratic process, free from pressure, threats, or interference.”
With the upcoming election cycle on the horizon, the following three initiatives are circulating for signatures to be forwarded to the Legislature:
IL26-001 Strengthen Communication Between Parents and Schools
- Initiative verbiage: “The re-enacted law [RCW 28A.605.005, based on I-2081] would list certain rights of parents and guardians of public-school children, including rights to review materials and student records, receive certain notifications and opt students out of certain activities. It would repeal amendments to the statute, which modified school obligations and access to certain student records and added certain parental rights.”
- Impact on Highline families: Parents would regain comprehensive access to their children’s educational materials, health and academic records, along with stronger notification and opt-out rights.
IL26-638 Protect Fairness in Girls’ Sports
- Initiative verbiage: “This measure would uphold Title IX by requiring the enforcement of policies prohibiting students it defines as “biologically male” from competing with or against female students in certain inter-school athletic activities that are intended for female students only. These requirements would apply to individual or team athletic competitions.”
- Impact on Highline students: For certain girls’ sports activities, both locally and across the state, it would require verification of biological sex by students’ healthcare providers.
IL26-126 Require Proof of Citizenship when registering to vote in Washington
- Initiative verbiage: “This initiative aligns with federal election law and accepts multiple government-issued documents and forms of ID to satisfy its proof requirement. It concerns heightened voter registration requirements for applicants and currently registered voters.”
- Impact on Highline voters: Highline (and Washington State) citizens would need to verify U.S. citizenship with a document such as a passport, birth certificate, or certificate of naturalization to register.
To learn more about the initiatives please visit:
Members Discussion