Local Initiative Process Gutted — Read The Dirt Read The Dirt

Local Initiative Process Gutted

by: Envision Spokane Posted on: September 08, 2013

Judge Decides That the Spokane’s Community Bill of Rights is Outside the Authority of Citizen Initiative

You Don’t Decide – On August 23, Judge Maryann Moreno ruled that Spokane, WA’s Community Bill of Rights and Voter Bill of Rights exceed the scope of what citizens can bring forward via an initiative.

The judge’s decision means Spokanites Will Not Vote on either Bill of Rights in November.

Envision Spokane is considering appealing that decision.

This decision renders the local initiative process sterile for any meaningful law making when it comes to advancing rights for people, neighborhoods, workers, or the environment.

Don’t forget that it was the major corporate powerbrokers along with our elected officials who forced the issue. Why? Because the Community Bill of Rights almost passed in 2011.

“The initiative process in general, and the Community Bill of Rights specifically, have always been about putting real decision-making authority in the hands of the people, not just a select, powerful few,” says Kai Huschke from Envision Spokane.

“Today that idea was trashed. The ruling upholds the ability of a few wealthy and powerful people to continue to make decisions about the future of Spokane.”

Spokesman-Review article: Click here

Inlander article: Click here

Alliance for a Competitive Economy announcement: Click here

---

One Response to “Local Initiative Process Gutted”

• Courts used to be to decide what laws were valid, ruled on law, as stated in our laws. Now they are judging ideas before they become law. This is more than a slippery slope. Some might even call it tyranny.
  by: Terry Garretton: Monday 23rd of September 2013

---