The Yes! To Affordable Groceries

The Yes! To Affordable Groceries coalition issued the following statement on election results for I-1634, which will prohibit local grocery taxes:

“We’re grateful that Washingtonians – including consumers, labor unions, farmers, ranchers, grocers, restaurants owners, and small businesspeople – united to ensure that peoples’ groceries are protected from taxes that raise prices and cost jobs. These results show that people are tired of being taxed on everyday basics that make it harder on working families and local small businesses.

“The cost of living is already high enough for people living paycheck to paycheck. Bills for housing and basic utilities keep rising. Passage of Initiative 1634 means working families and seniors on fixed incomes won’t have to pay more for groceries too. It also means neighborhood grocery stores and local small businesses won’t have to cut jobs or worse because of lost sales to stores in neighboring cities and towns.

“This is a victory for all Washingtonians who came forward to put a stop to regressive taxes that place a larger share of the burden on residents least capable of paying it.”