Add SeaTac’s controversial Proposition 1, a so-called “living wage” initiative, to the measures that won’t be appearing on local ballots in November. At least, that’s how it looks now. Things can change.

The order came down yesterday, from King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas. The issue came down to what to do with signatures of voters who signed the Prop. 1 petitions more than once. In statewide elections, the duplicates – but not the original signatures – are excluded. In local elections, all signatures – including the original – are to be removed and not counted. The order shines light on key differences between state and local law regarding the petition.

Bottom line: When  you exclude the 61  contested signatures, including the originals, the measure falls short of the number required to reach the ballot.

Judge Darvas then orders:

(2) Writ of Prohibition: The City and City Clerk are prohibited, and must desist and refrain, from sending the initiative measure to King County, ex officio City of SeaTac Supervisor of Elections, for inclusion on a ballot;
(3) Writ of Mandate: The City and City Clerk are hereby ordered and required to take whatever actions are required to withdraw and remove the measure from processing by the King County Elections Department, the ex officio Supervisor of City Elections, for inclusion on the November ballot, including withdrawing the Final Certificate of Sufficiency, advising the Supervisor of City Elections of the decision of this Court, and instructing the Supervisor of City Elections not to place the measure on the ballot.

Sound pretty definitive, but backers of the initiative are already trying to get another 250 signatures accepted, as Erik Smith reqports. There’s also a question of how to move forward and whether September 6 is the new deadline for re-referral to the ballot. Smith’s piece does a nice job laying out the political, procedural and legal options.

Finally, the Spokesman-Review’s editorial today regarding the measures struck from the Spokane ballot resonates here as well.

If neither of these initiatives gathered another signature, that would be a good thing for individuals and business. 

True enough.