OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington State Supreme Court struck down Initiative 2066 in its entirety on Thursday, ruling in a 6-3 decision that the voter-approved measure violates the state constitution's single-subject requirement.
González, Raquel Montoya-Lewis, G.
The court noted that altering the statutory jurisdiction of local clean air agencies involves administrative law mechanisms entirely separate from commercial utility planning mandates.
The sharp disagreement between the six-justice majority and the three-member dissent highlights longstanding philosophical tensions within the state judiciary regarding the proper balance between constitutional guardrails and popular sovereignty.
Thursday's ruling draws clear procedural parallels to the high court's landmark 2020 decision striking down Initiative 976, the popular measure that sought to cap annual motor vehicle license fees at thirty dollars.
The Washington Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Initiative 2066 is unconstitutional in its entirety, finding that the voter-approved natural gas measure bundled four distinct subjects in violation of Article II, Section 19.