Wash. Initiative 1033 losing soundly

By CURT WOODWARD, Associated Press Writer Published: Nov 3, 2009 at 10:29 PM PST Last Updated: Nov 4, 2009 at 12:56 AM PST
Wash. Initiative 1033 losing soundly
A woman drops off her ballot Tuesday at Esther Street and West 14th in Vancouver. (Photo by Bob Heye, KATU News)

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — With voters soundly defeating Initiative 1033, anti-tax activist Tim Eyman is acknowledging that his measure won't win at the polls this year.

With about 48 percent of the expected vote counted in unofficial tallies Tuesday night, I-1033 was losing 55 percent to 45 percent.

The initiative would have capped government revenue growth, and cut property taxes. Any tax hikes would have gone on the ballot.

The opposition campaign has declared victory, saying voters have already seen government services cut back because of the recession.

But Eyman says Olympia politicians should not take I-1033's apparent defeat as a message that they should raise taxes. He says 45 percent of voters still agreed with its plan to limit government.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.