This morning at our Governmental Affairs Council retreat at Alderbrook, AWB members heard a short presentation on the merits, as well as the legal shortcomings, of the I-1029 initiative from a representative of one of the members of the Community Care Coalition. In the latter regard, it appears evident this group will justifiably challenge Secretary of State Sam Reed's peculiar decision to process I-1029 as an initiative to the people when the petitions direct him on their face to submit the measure to the Legislature.
We touched upon all of this yesterday, here. In comment to that post, Tim Eyman also directs attention to the reliably sensible editorial page of the Tacoma News Tribune, where it leads off today with the question "Are Washingtonians smart? Or are they dumb?" As in, with respect to what they sign when they're asked for a signature on a petition to government.
Realizing the SEIU's mistake means there's going to be an error one way or the other, the Tribune concludes with the key point:
As secretary of state, Reed may have the legal discretion to do what he did – though that’s likely to be challenged in court. The bigger issue is how much credit to give the voters who lent their signatures to it. Supporters of I-1029 are essentially saying that virtually all 300,000 missed the critical “to the Legislature” language and ought to be given an initiative to the people instead.
But that’s giving their inattention the benefit of the doubt. If their carefulness were given the benefit of the doubt, I-1029 would be headed for the 2009 Legislature, not the 2008 ballot.
