I‑2066 battle moves to legal arena: Coalition of nonprofits and local governments files lawsuit asserting it is unconsti

ded indefinitely to dirty and dangerous petroleum gas is unconstitutional and should be enjoined from being implemented, a coalition of nonprofits and local governments asserted in a lawsuit filed today in King County Superior Court.

Initiative 2066, the lone Let’s Go Washington measure to get past voters last month, was conceived by the Building Industry of Washington (BIAW), a lobby organization for homebuilders that has long been run by people with a penchant for right wing politics. It was adopted by Washington State Republican Party Chair Jim Walsh and Let’s Go Washington creator and funder Brian Heywood as part of their slate of measures intended to goose Republican turnout in the 2024 presidential election and partially overturn laws passed by Washington’s Democratic legislative majorities in recent years.

NPI worked closely with Climate Solutions and Washington Conservation Action, two of the plaintiffs now suing to overturn the measure, to defeat it when it was on the ballot. Although the NO campaign was not successful, it came very close to prevailing, despite not having funds for its own voter contact efforts and having to contend with a misleading, problematic ballot title (that’s the term of art for the words that appear on the ballot describing what an initiative is and what it would do.)

The complete list of plaintiffs is as follows:

Climate Solutions
Washington Conservation Action
Front and Centered
Washington Solar Energy Industries Association
King County (represented by Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion)
City of Seattle (represented by City Attorney Ann Davison)
Anthony Maschmedt, a principal with Dwell Development, a former StateBuilding Code Council member, and a current member of the BIAW

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/12/i-2066-battle-moves-to-legal-arena-coalition-of-nonprofits-and-local-governments-files-lawsuit-asserting-it-is-unconstitutional.html

Washington’s voter-approved natural gas measure snared in two lawsuits

Legal wrangling over the ballot initiative blocking Washington’s efforts to phase out natural gas use in homes intensified Wednesday when opponents sued, alleging the measure violates the state constitution and should be tossed.

The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, argues Initiative 2066 is unconstitutional because it runs afoul of a provision limiting citizen initiatives to no more than one subject and requiring them to contain the full text of the portion of state laws they would alter.

Plaintiffs, who include Climate Solutions, Washington Conservation Action, Front and Centered, King County and the city of Seattle, also seek an injunction to prevent the initiative from being implemented. The state of Washington is the sole defendant.

“This Initiative is too broad to be implemented constitutionally. It could affect regulations that protect our air, protect public health, ensure building safety, and respond to the realities of climate change,” Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/12/11/washingtons-voter-approved-natural-gas-measure-snared-in-two-lawsuits/