The Roberts Court has done it again. Determined to make the terrible implications of the Corporations United and McCutcheon decisions look tame by comparison, the Supreme Court ruled this morning that because it believes corporations to be people, an artificial for-profit entity like Hobby Lobby is entitled to religious liberty, and so it does not have […]
Category: Litigation
Posted inBreaking News, Civil Liberties, Litigation, Policy Topics, Technology
In landmark ruling, U.S. Supreme Court bars warrantless searches of mobile phones
Who says there’s no such thing as privacy in the digital age? Not John Roberts’ Supreme Court, which today issued a much-needed decision ruling that American police forces must generally obtain a warrant before they can legally search the mobile phone of someone they have arrested. Roberts’ majority opinion was signed by every other justice, […]
Posted inBreaking News, Civil Liberties, Litigation, Policy Topics
A HUGE morning for mariage equality: DOMA is unconstitutional, Proposition 8 is history
Progressives have a lot to celebrate this morning. In a pair of much-anticipated decisions, the United States Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” and let stand a lower court decision invalidating California’s Proposition 8, a 2008 attempt to amend California’s Constitution to outlaw civil marriages by same-sex […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Litigation, Policy Topics, Public Planning
It’s time to update Tim Eyman’s Failure Chart
Now that the Washington State Supreme Court has ruled, at long last, that the main provision of Tim Eyman’s I‑601 clones is unconstitutional and void, it’s time for us to update Tim Eyman’s Failure Chart. The Failure Chart is a handy resource that we maintain over at Permanent Defense which shows that most of the […]
Posted inBreaking News, Litigation
Governor Jay Inslee, advocates thrilled with today’s landmark Supreme Court decision
The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in LEV v. State has now been up on the World Wide Web for a couple of hours, and we’ve been on the receiving end of a number of statements and press releases commenting on the decision. We’d like to share some of what we’re hearing with you. First, Governor Jay […]
Posted inBreaking News, Litigation
Ruling coming tomorrow on constitutionality of Tim Eyman’s I‑960/I‑1053/I‑1185
The Washington State Supreme Court signaled today that it plans to issue a ruling tomorrow morning in League of Education Voters, et al. v. State of Washington, et al, the all-important legal challenge to Tim Eyman’s I‑1053 filed in June 2011 by a group of Democratic lawmakers, parents, and teachers. In a notice on its […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Elections, Litigation, Policy Topics
Frank Blethen’s Seattle Times tells Supreme Court to bring back Tim Eyman’s I‑1053
Well, that didn’t take long. Less than seventy-two hours after the Supreme Court heard oral argument in League of Education Voters v. State of Washington (the legal challenge to Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1053), Frank Blethen’s Seattle Times released an editorial telling the Supreme Court to bring back Tim Eyman’s I‑1053, which was struck down in May […]
Posted inElections, Litigation
Tim Eyman’s lawsuit over I‑1185 fiscal impact “dimissed in full and with prejudice”
A baseless lawsuit filed by Tim Eyman against the state’s Office of Financial Management (OFM) has been dismissed in full and with prejudice following a hearing in Thurston County Superior Court earlier today. After listening to arguments by Senior Counsel Steve Dietrich (representing the state) and Tim Eyman (who appeared pro se), Judge James Dixon signed […]
Posted inBreaking News, Litigation
BREAKING: Tim Eyman’s I‑1053 has *finally* been struck down as unconstitutional!
Joyous news to report out of the King County Courthouse this morning: Superior Court Judge Bruce Heller has just ruled that Tim Eyman’s I‑1053 — the third in a series of initiatives undemocratically requiring two-thirds votes of both houses of the Legislature to raise revenue — is unconstitutional on multiple grounds. The ruling, which Rob […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Education, Litigation, Policy Topics
Frank Blethen, self-proclaimed champion of higher education, doesn’t want Chris Gregoire intervening in lawsuit against I‑1053
A few days ago, Governor Chris Gregoire let it be known that she intends to ask the courts to rule on the constitutionality of Tim Eyman’s I‑1053, which was challenged by a group of parents, teachers, and lawmakers in a lawsuit last spring. Gregoire is a defendant in the lawsuit (which is being defended by […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Litigation, Policy Topics
Teamsters, UFCW file legal challenge seeking to have Costco’s I‑1183 overturned
Two unions that represent working families who would be adversely harmed by the implementation of Costco’s Initiative 1183 filed suit today in King County Superior Court seeking to have the measure stricken in its entirety as unconstitutional. Teamsters Local 174 and UFCW Local 21 contend that I‑1183 violates Article II, § 19 of Washington’s Constitution, which […]
Posted inEconomic Security, Litigation
Recall efforts well underway in Wisconsin, Democratic Party says
Heartening news from the Badger State: In another sign that the Wisconsin GOP’s quick passage of the bill to roll back bargaining rights is only causing the fight to escalate, Dems have now collected over 45 percent of the signatures necessary to hold recall elections for eight GOP state senators, the Wisconsin Democratic Party tells me. […]