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Campaign launched for education trust fund; Initiative, which would raise sales tax by 1 cent, needs 200,000 signatures;

Campaign launched for education trust fund; Initiative, which would raise sales tax by 1 cent, needs 200,000 signatures;

Posted by Marler Lawyer on March 11, 2004

As Becky Kramer reported for the Spokesman Review in her article Campaign launched for education trust fund, with more than 200,000 signatures to collect by July 2, the League of Education Voters is starting to fire up its initiative campaign. After a year of collecting input from parents, educators, business people and community members throughout the state, the group has developed a proposal that would generate a dedicated stream of money for all levels of public education.

Money would come from a 1-cent increase in the state sales tax rate, which would bring the state rate to 7.5 percent. Local taxes are added on top of that, so the actual sales tax in Spokane, for instance, would increase from 8.1 percent to 9.1 percent.

Among other things, the education trust fund would:

Create 10,000 new spaces for high-needs preschoolers.

Fully fund Initiative 728 - approved by voters in 2000 but scaled back by
the Legislature - which reduces class sizes.

Provide incentives for teachers to obtain professional skill development.

Provide 25,000 more enrollments at community and technical colleges and
universities.

Expand Promise Scholarships and financial aid.