Frequently Asked Questions
How many Democrats, Republicans, and Independents signed each of the initiatives?
I-00152.4% Republican47.6% Democrat+IndependantI-63852.3% Republican47.6% Democrat+IndependantI-64548% Republican52% Democrat+IndependantWhen will I-001, I-638, and I-645 appear on the ballot?
All three initiatives will be on your ballot this November 2026. Vote yes to strengthen communication between parents and schools, protect fairness in girls’ sports and repeal the income tax.What are I-001, I-638 and I-645 and what does voting YES do?
- I-001: restores parental access, notification, and opt-out rights.
- I-638: confirms female only participation in sports by establishing sex-based eligibility for girls’ interscholastic sports.
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I-645: repeals Washington’s new 9.9% income tax on individual income.
What rights would voting YES on I-001 create?
– Faster access to records: Requires schools to provide requested records within 10 business days instead of up to 45 days.– Broader record access: Expressly includes academic, medical, mental-health, vocational, disciplinary, attendance, IEP/504, and other student-specific records.– Curriculum transparency: Parents can examine textbooks, curriculum, and supplemental classroom materials.– Notice before medical services: Requires prior parental notification when medical services are offered, except emergencies.– Notice after emergency treatment: Parents must be notified as soon as practicable after emergency treatment.– Insurance-cost notification: Requires notice when medical services or medications could affect a parent’s insurance payments or copays.– Follow-up care notification: Requires notice when a school arranges treatment requiring care beyond school hours.– Immediate crime notification: Parents are immediately notified if a criminal action is deemed committed against or by their child.– Immediate law-enforcement notification: Parents are notified if law enforcement questions their child, with an abuse/neglect exception.– Immediate removal notification: Parents are notified if their child is taken or removed from campus without parental permission, including to a youth shelter or host home.– Expanded survey opt-outs: Parents can opt children out of certain surveys/activities involving sexual experiences, political or religious beliefs, and mental-health issues like what is included in King County’s SBIRT.– Fee transparency: Parents receive a listing of required school fees and their purposes.– Abuse/neglect safeguard: Medical and mental-health records can be withheld when the parent is the target of an active abuse or neglect investigation.Does I-001 require schools to “out” LGBTQIA+ students?
No. I-001 does not require schools to notify parents simply because a student identifies as LGBTQ+. The initiative’s parental-notification provisions require notice for specified matters, such as changes to a student’s physical, emotional, or mental health or well-being, but they do not identify a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity as an independent notification trigger.
Does I-001 put children who are experiencing abuse or neglect at risk?
No, I-001 expands protections for students in dangerous situations by removing the time and location notification requirement in existing law. Additionally, existing mandatory reporting requirements remain in law and statutory protections for students in abuse or neglect situations remain in law. Parents who are abusive or the subject of ongoing investigations will not be able to access information about their student records.Does I-638 require genital exams for student athletes?
No, the initiative language does not require, mandate, or authorize genital exams. A doctor will simply check a box on a physical form that already exists to confirm a child’s sex. They can use existing medical history knowledge, the existing medical history form, or any other method the doctor and patient deem is best to check the box on the sports physical form.How many male athletes are currently competing in girls’ sports in Washington State?
Would I-638 ban transgender students from participating in school sports?
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No, I-638 simply confirms that athletes must play in leagues that align with their sex, no bans, just sex-based rules as Washington State and the nation have used for years. This is about fairness and protections for girls, not about limiting access to sports.
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Does I-645 only impact millionaires?
– Lawmakers instituted this tax as an income tax with a million dollar deduction and refused to codify protections to keep the threshold from being lowered to include your income. That means that they can lower the threshold at any time to reach any income level – the million dollar deduction was just the framework to institute an income tax for all Washingtonians.Consider their recent actions:-
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Banned state and local income taxes in 2024 with I-2111
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Introduced an income tax with no protections for lowering the threshold to all income levels in 2025
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“Promised” they wouldn’t lower the threshold but affirm that the budget deficit will continue to exist even with the income tax revenue.
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Do you trust that they won’t lower the tax to include you too?
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Will voting YES on I-645 eliminate other taxes or funding benefits?
No, voting yes won’t impact any other taxes in Washington State. Additionally, voting yes will keep tax credits and exemptions for small businesses and cut the sales tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products.Where can I read the full text of each initiative?
Who is Let’s Go Washington?
Let’s Go Washington is a non-partisan political action committee working to fix what’s broken in Washington State. LGW runs citizen-led initiatives that often reflect the will of people who feel they have been overlooked by Olympia’s policies and priorities.How can I get involved with Let’s Go Washington?
We are always looking for volunteers to join the effort in fixing what’s broken. Sign up to be a volunteer here and join us for door-knocking, phone-calling, sharing information on the initiatives on social media, or write letters to your local news outlet: letsgowa.com/volunteer