Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, on Wednesday voted in support of a constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds legislative vote on proposed tax hikes.
Braun, however, was on the losing side.
The Senate's 25-21 vote for the bill fell short of the two-thirds majority vote required to approve proposed constitutional amendments.
The measure, which Braun co-sponsored, would not only restore but give constitutional protection to taxpayer protection, he said in a news release.
Voters in Washington have voted five times to restrict tax increases by requiring a two-thirds majority. But, their decision fell victim to a February 2013 ruling by the state Supreme Court.
"I personally supported this initiative. I believe in the wisdom of the people. Seventy-five percent of my district voted for the most recent initiative, which was invalidated by the justices last year," Braun said in the release.
The 20th District lawmaker said he disagreed with opponents in the Senate who expressed concerns that offering stronger protection to taxpayers would restrict government's ability to work.
"To suggest that we can't do our job with this requirement is simply not the case,” Braun said. “The citizens of Washington have repeatedly voted for a high bar on any tax increases, and we should follow their direction.”
