Washington State Income Tax Ban Advances to Avoid Ballot Fight

Washington state lawmakers advanced a measure backed by a conservative group on Friday that would ban state and local jurisdictions from enacting income taxes, signaling the question won’t go before voters in November.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee and the House Finance Committee both passed the measure, (Initiative 2111) with Democrats and Republicans disagreeing over whether it will matter as Washington already doesn’t have an income tax. Both chambers are expected to pass the initiative next week, which will keep it off the statewide ballot.

The initiative is one of six backed by a conservative group called Let’s ...