Tools
Referendum and Initiative are major tools for the people to be involved in changing laws. Initiative 1109 is an Initiative to the legislature.
REFERENDUM
The primary purpose of the referendum is to give voters an opportunity to approve or reject laws either proposed or enacted by the Legislature. Referendum Bills are proposed laws referred to the voters by the State Legislature. Referendum signature petition sheets must be filed within 90 days after the end of that legislative session. They need to get 129,811 valid signatures. The referendum is then submitted at the next state general election. https://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/initiatives/initiative-and-referenda-handbook-2020-031220.pdf
INITIATIVES TO THE LEGISLATURE
The initiative process is the direct power of the voters to enact new or change existing laws. It allows the voters to place proposed legislation on the ballot. An initiative cannot be used to amend the State Constitution. Initiatives to the Legislature are submitted to the Legislature at its regular session each January.
Once submitted, the Legislature must take one of the following three actions:
• The Legislature may adopt the initiative as proposed and it becomes law without a vote of the people;
• The Legislature may reject or refuse to act on the proposed initiative and the initiative must be placed on the ballot at the next state general election; or
• The Legislature may propose a different measure dealing with the same subject and both measures must be placed on the next state general election ballot.
https://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/initiatives/initiative-and-referenda-handbook-2020-031220.pdf
