Oregon Public Broadcasting

Majority Democrats in the Washington State Senate have approved a temporary suspension of Initiative 960.

That's the voter-approved requirement that all tax votes pass with a two-thirds super majority.

This paves the way for Democrats to raise taxes later this session with a simple majority vote. Austin Jenkins has details.

Democrats say the state's fiscal crisis is so severe they canít in good conscience rebalance the budget with cuts alone. And they know Republicans won't help them reach the supermajority threshold needed to approve taxes.

That's why the Senate voted 26 to 23 to put 960 on ice for more than a year.

Republicans blasted the move as a slap in the face of voters. But Democratic Senator Jim Hargrove noted that both parties have a long history of suspending voter initiatives when times get tough.

Jim Hargrove: "So while I respect the will of the people I think it's a little disingenuous to suggest one side of the aisle totally upholds the will of the people and the other side of the aisle does not."

The suspension would last until July 2011.

That means simple-majority tax votes would be allowed during next year's legislative session as well.

Democrats did not, however, adopt permanent changes to 960 as they had originally proposed.

The measure now goes to the House.

After the vote, Democrats realized they'd made a blunder with the details of their the bill.

They inadvertently left intact several other provisions of I-960, including the requirement that any tax hikes the legislature passes this year be published in this November's voters' pamphlet.

Democratic leaders say they will come back and suspend that part of the law too.