The second round of the fight to defeat Tim Eyman’s Initiative 976 is officially underway. Today, a coalition of plaintiffs led by King County and the City of Seattle filed suit in King County Superior Court seeking an order striking down the initiative as unconstitutional. The plaintiffs are also asking for an injunction barring I‑976’s implementation until the legal challenge is resolved.
“Here in King County – where Sound Transit 3 was overwhelmingly approved and I‑976 was defeated by nearly 60 percent – we follow the will of the people and the rule of law,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.
“We join with others across the state to challenge the constitutionality of I‑976, even as we renew our long-standing demand that the legislature reform the tax system and provide better funding options to local governments across the state. The only responsible choice is to push ahead, building a transportation system and economy that gives every person access to a better future.”
It’s important to know that the plaintiffs in this lawsuit include local governments all over the state, represented through the Association of Washington Cities and the Washington State Transit Association.
Here’s an introduction to all of the plaintiffs, courtesy of King County:
Here’s the complaint:
Legal challenge against Tim Eyman’s I‑976The City of Seattle and King County are represented by in-house counsel (headed by City Attorney Pete Holmes and County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, respectively) while the remaining plaintiffs are represented by Paul Lawrence, Matthew Segal, Jessica Skelton, and Shae Blood of Pacifica Law Group.
Although we are not a plaintiff in this lawsuit, NPI is among Pacifica Law Group’s clients and we have the highest confidence in their abilities.
Senior litigation partner Paul Lawrence is a recipient of NPI’s highest honor, the Lynn Allen Award, for indispensable contributions to progressive causes. Paul was the lead counsel in the successful litigation against Tim Eyman’s last awful initiative, I‑1366, which was struck down in its entirety by the State Supreme Court.
There’s no one I trust more to handle this litigation than Dan Satterberg, Pete Holmes, and Paul’s team at Pacifica Law Group. If anyone can prove that I‑976 is unconstitutional (and our team at NPI emphatically believes it is), they can.
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