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Check back here for the latest news on I-831 and an updated calendar of campaign events and milestones!
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Injunct This! I-831 Sponsor Asks Court to Block Eyman's Anti-Light Rail Initiative Olympia, WA, March 4 -- Flipping the tables on the Attorney General, I-831 sponsor David Goldstein is using his own legal battle to draw Tim Eyman into the conflict. Arguing that if pre-ballot judicial review is applied to his initiative, it should be applied to all, Mr. Goldstein has asked the courts to instruct Attorney General Christine Gregoire to seek an injunction against Tim Eyman's latest efforts to block Sound Transit's Central Link light rail. "I trust the Attorney General to defend the initiative process against 776-Lite with the same solemnity and vigor she has attacked I-831." said Mr. Goldstein, barely concealing a smirk. "While she can cite no case law to support her assertion that resolutions are non-legislative, the courts have clearly ruled on the issues surrounding Mr. Eyman's latest debacle." In documents filed today in Thurston County Superior Court, I-831 chief council John Widell concludes "a writ of mandamus should issue to the Attorney General requiring that she seek pre-ballot review of Mr. Eyman's Sound Transit initiative," and any others that are arguably "outside the scope of the initiative powers." Mr. Widell cites a 1973 case, Ruano v. Spellman, in which an initiative seeking to block construction of the Kingdome was kept off the ballot. The State Supreme Court ruled that since the project had been passed by voters, and bonds had been issued, only administrative issues remained. The courts have long held that initiatives are limited to legislative issues. The Attorney General is seeking an injunction to block I-831 from the ballot, arguing that resolutions are not legislative in nature. Mr. Goldstein, who is not an attorney, claims he discovered the parallel case while researching his own, and he suggests Mr. Eyman might want to put a little more effort into writing his future initiatives: "It didn't take a high-priced lawyer to find the legal flaws in 776-Lite... just ten minutes of Googling, and a little determination." I-831 seeks to proclaim anti-tax merchant Tim Eyman a horse's ass, and is intended to draw attention to the need to reform the initiative process. HorsesAss.org is a grassroots political organization dedicated to making politics fun and effective. All legal documents in Goldstein v. Gregoire will be posted to the campaign's website: http://www.horsesass.org/ ### Copyright 2003, HorsesAss.Org |
Campaign Event Calendar
- 01/06/03: First day to file initiatives for the November 2003 general election.
- 02/03 - 06/03: Collect 197,734 valid signatures (note to self: remember to bring lots of pens.)
- 07/06/03: Last day to file petitions.
- 08/03 - 10/03: Criss-cross the state, engaging Tim Eyman in a series of debates reminiscent of Lincoln & Douglas, not so much for our elocutionary eloquence, but more for the fact that I plan to wear a really tall hat.
- 11/06/03: Really cool election night party.
- Latest News!
- 01/16/03: Well, the story broke. It's funny; some horse's ass (me, this time) pays a $5 filing fee for an incredibly stupid initiative, and he suddenly has the credibility to spout his political views all over radio and television. Isn't there something wrong with this?
- 01/09/03: Shawn e-mailed to say he got the filing, and it is being processed!
- 01/06/03: Re-filed the initiative, this time personally addressing it to Shawn, who promised not to lose it.
- 12/06/02: Office of the Secretary of State confirms that they have "lost" my filing. (Yeah, right.) Good thing though, since apparently 01/06/03 is the first day I can file. Ooops.
- 12/04/02: E-mailed Office of the Secretary of State to find out why I never heard back about my filing.
- 11/19/02: Secretary of State actually cashed my check!
- 11/15/02: Mailed the proposed initiative, notarized affidavit, and a $5.00 filing fee to the Office of the Secretary State. Persuaded my mother that no, I don't need Prozac.
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