What is it? Initiative 884 would create the Washington Education Trust Fund. That fund would raise $1 billion more for education each year through a new sales tax of one cent on the dollar. That would increase the state share of the sales tax from 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent. Half of the money would go to K-12 education, 40 percent to community colleges and the university system, and 10 percent to early education. The initiative would create the Education Trust Citizen Oversight Board, consisting of 11 voting members, to oversee the money.

What would it do? I-884 would increase the state sales tax a penny on the dollar and deposit the proceeds in the Washington Education Trust Fund, which would provide additional money for all levels of education. Initiative backers say the extra money would create 10,000 high-quality preschool slots for children; reduce K-12 class sizes; raise the base pay for K-12 teachers and school employees, and for community and technical college employees; provide additional high school classes; help support parental involvement in all schools; expand Promise scholarships for the top 30 percent of graduating high school seniors; fund at least 25,000 additional enrollment slots in community and technical colleges and four-year universities, and another 7,000 slots in high demand fields; and increase investments in university-based research that generates new businesses and jobs.

Who supports it? Microsoft, Starbucks, the Washington state PTA, The Washington Education Association, The Children’s Alliance, the Foundation for Early Learning and Gov. Gary Locke. The supporters say the initiative would address what they call a crisis in funding for education statewide.

Who opposes it? The opposition is led by the League of Freedom Voters, a group affiliated with the national Citizens for a Sound Economy. The national organization has opposed tax increases across the country and recently helped to defeat tax proposals in Alabama and Oregon. Former Republican State House speaker Clyde Ballard is chairman of the League of Freedom Voters. Gubernatorial candidates Christine Gregoire and Dino Rossi are also opposed, as is the Building Industry Association of Washington.

Opponents say the initiative would hit taxpayers too hard, particularly the poor and seniors on fixed incomes; that it would cost jobs in the retail sector, as consumers cross state lines or cruise the Internet to escape the sales tax; and that it would hurt the building industry because of increased home construction costs.

More information:

• To read the initiative: www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/signatures.aspx

• Supporters: League of Education Voters, www.educationvoters.org

• Opponents: League of Freedom Voters, www.freedomvoters.org