Seattle School Board Member Challenges Washington State MAGA-Backed Initiatives

A Seattle School Board member has publicly opposed three Washington State ballot initiatives, describing them as a “MAGA agenda” that would cut billions in education funding, force the outing of LGBTQ+ students to families, and require genital or genetic inspections for girls in school sports.

Joe Mizrahi, who represents District 4 as an at-large member of the Seattle School Board, published an opinion piece in The Urbanist on September 24, 2026, detailing his opposition to Initiatives 645, 001, and 638. The initiatives are funded by Brian Heywood, a hedge fund multi-millionaire, through his political action committee Let’s Go Washington. Mizrahi, a former Secretary-Treasurer at UFCW 3000, frames his opposition as a defense of Washington’s progressive policies and a refutation of a national conservative agenda he says is being imposed on the state.

The initiatives are set to appear on Washington State ballots, and Mizrahi’s piece serves as a direct appeal to voters to reject them. The Seattle School Board is scheduled to vote on resolutions opposing the measures, joining other local governments and organisations in the state.

Key facts

I-645: Education funding at risk

The first initiative, I-645, targets Washington State’s “millionaires tax,” a levy on high-income earners that funds education and child care. Mizrahi argues that Heywood, who would personally benefit from the tax cut, is attempting to obscure the initiative’s true impact. He states that losing the revenue would eliminate $13 billion in funding for education and child care over a period, and would also end free school meals for many K-12 students.

The loss of this revenue would have cascading effects, according to Mizrahi, including increased healthcare costs, higher taxes on working families and small businesses, and the elimination of tax rebates for working families. He contrasts Heywood’s wealth with the tax burden on average Washingtonians, noting that most residents pay three to four times greater state tax rates than the wealthy individuals backing the initiative.

I-001: Parental rights and child safety

Initiative 001 is framed by its proponents as a “parents’ rights” measure, but Mizrahi argues it would have the opposite effect. He claims the initiative was largely copied from Louisiana and would remove long-standing protections for child abuse victims.

The Washington State PTA, the state’s largest parents organisation, has released a statement opposing the initiative. Law enforcement officials, including former Snohomish Sheriff John Lovick, have also voiced opposition, arguing that I-001 would “remove parents’ rights to be immediately notified if their child is the victim or target of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, or assault” at school.

Mizrahi identifies the core motivation behind I-001 as forcing schools to “out” vulnerable LGBTQ+ students to families who may be abusive, thereby putting children at greater risk of beatings and homelessness. He describes it as part of a right-wing agenda to drive LGBTQ+ children back into hiding, where they face higher rates of self-harm and suicide.

I-638: Sex inspections for school sports

The third initiative, I-638, is described by Mizrahi as the most extreme of its kind in the United States. It would ban an estimated five to ten transgender girls out of 1.2 million students from participating in school sports. However, Mizrahi argues the initiative’s true impact is broader, as it would require all girls—but not boys—to undergo sex inspections to play sports.

These inspections could involve invasive genital exams or costly genetic and hormone testing. Mizrahi, a parent of three student athletes, expresses horror at the prospect of his daughters facing such measures. He suggests the targeting of female student athletics may be the entire point, noting that Heywood has described Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education, as “brute force legislation” that “destroyed or decimated some boys sports.” This position, Mizrahi notes, aligns with the conservative Heritage Foundation’s goal of repealing Title IX.

A coalition of nearly 1,000 groups, including the WA State Nurses Association, League of Women Voters, WA State PTA, Planned Parenthood, and over 100 family doctors and medical care providers, have opposed the initiative.

Campaign finance and ethical concerns

Mizrahi also raises concerns about the conduct of the Let’s Go Washington PAC. The organisation is under formal investigation by the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) for failing to report more than $1 million in political promotion and advertising for I-638 and I-001.

Additionally, the PAC has been accused of misrepresenting support for I-638 in its voter guide statement. Conservative blogger Benjamin Ryan revealed that the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) asked Let’s Go Washington to remove their name from the statement, saying it “does not accurately portray AAP guidance regarding pre-sports participation exams.” Heywood refused to comply with this request.

Local government opposition

The Seattle School Board is expected to vote on resolutions opposing the three initiatives, joining a growing list of local governments and organisations. The Tacoma City Council, Shoreline City Council, Mountlake Terrace City Council, MomsRising, and the Washington State Labor Council have all publicly stated their opposition.

Mizrahi frames the vote as a defence of Washington State’s progressive identity, including its high minimum wage, protections for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, and tax credits for working families. He concludes by urging voters to reject the initiatives, stating that doing so would “powerfully refute the MAGA agenda’s attack on Washington’s way of life.”

Source: The Urbanist – https://www.theurbanist.org/op-ed-what-maga-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-i-645-i-001-and-i-638/