On April 20, a Thurston County Superior Court judge ruled that the Legislature violated the State Constitution when they passed an amendment (HB 3003) to Initiative 940 (I-940) before voting to approve the initiative itself.
The initiative changes the legal standard for when an officer faces criminal liability for the use of deadly force. The judge ordered the Washington Secretary of State’s Office to put I-940, but not the amendment, on the November ballot.
The trial court’s decision was appealed and will be heard by the Washington Supreme Court on Thursday, June 28 at 1:30 pm. They are expected to make a decision before August 31 to allow I-940 to make the November ballot if the Supreme Court affirms the trial court’s decision, or determines that I-940 and its alternative, HB 3003, should both go to the ballot.
To read more about I-940 and what happened during legislative session, read our previous article.