Hello Friend of CADF,
March has been a big month for all of us in Washington, and we here at CADF have been exceptionally busy fighting for your constitutional rights and holding the government accountable.
Case Updates
Scott Smith | WSDOT Whistleblower
On March 5, 2024, we officially filed a lawsuit on behalf of Scott Smith against the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Office of Financial Management (OFM) after they forced him out of his job for refusing to lie about the impact of the cap-and-trade program on fuel costs.
Background: In November of 2023, we filed a tort claim form and sent a demand letter on Smith’s behalf, giving WSDOT and OFM the opportunity to address the issue before having to file a lawsuit. They neglected to respond, so a suit was the appropriate next step. We will keep you updated as the case moves forward.
King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office | Investigation Request
In December of 2023, we sent a letter to Attorney General Bob Ferguson and U.S. Attorney General for the W. District of WA Tessa Gorman to formally request that their offices investigate the KCPAO’s mishandling of sexual assault cases, among other issues.
They failed to even acknowledge the prevalent issue, let alone initiate investigations as requested, so we sent a follow-up letter on March 11th to request an update.
After we sent the second letter, we did receive an acknowledgment from both the U.S. Attorney’s office and the AG’s office. They indicated that they do not provide information regarding the status of investigations, so we are monitoring this issue closely and will keep you updated on how we proceed.
Amicus Briefs
- Adams v. City of Seattle | March 21, 2024
- The Institute for Justice reached out and asked us to get involved in their challenge to Seattle’s Mandatory Housing Authority (MHA) – more specifically, their “inclusionary housing” program. As a condition of any building permit, this program would require developers to provide income-restricted units or, if they elect not to do so, pay a substantial fee. This is not in line with our view on property rights and free-enterprise policies, so we were happy to write a brief to address those issues.
- No on E v. Chiu | March 26, 2024
- San Francisco now compels advertisers to name donors in their political ads, regardless of whether or not any of the donors intended to fund the ad or were ever aware of their recipients’ political contribution. There are a myriad of issues with this, including the fact it has a massive chilling effect on donors. We here at CADF believe people should have the freedom to privately donate to causes they care about without fear of uproar or general controversy, which we highlighted in our brief.
2024 Legislative Session: An Overview
2024 Initiatives: 3 out of 6 HEARD & PASSED
As you might recall from our last newsletter, we sent a letter to the legislature in January demanding they prioritize the six initiatives that they’re constitutionally required to hear.
The legislature finally did hear (and pass) three of the six initiatives, but still failed to hear the other three.
SB 5920: PASSED
CADF Executive Director Jackson Maynard testified on SB 5920 at the request of the primary sponsor of the bill, Senator Mike Padden. This bill lifts the certificate of need requirements for psychiatric hospitals and beds, which is not only consistent with the way other states operate but with free market principles and the goal of reducing regulatory burdens on businesses.
The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Inslee on March 18, 2024.
Note: Jackson’s testimony starts at the 1:26:00 mark
LEGISLATIVE RECAPS
Feeling a bit out of the loop on what issues CADF got involved with this legislative session? Not to worry! Jackson and our Associate Counsel, Sam Spiegelman, both testified on various bills (including SB 5920, listed above), and we’ve compiled the additional five on our Instagram (@CADFWashington).
Sam also outlined several vital bills in a blog post for you:
In Other News…
No More Bar Exam?
Jackson spoke with Brandi Kruse on her podcast about the fact that Washington State is no longer requiring lawyers to pass the bar in order to practice law in our state.
Spoiler: We’re not a fan of that idea (at all).
Speaking of abolishing the bar exam…
Sam discussed the topic in-depth in his blog post as well.
(If you haven’t yet checked out Courts & Committees: Evergreen Edition, you’re missing out!)
STAY INVOLVED
Donate to CADF: Make a tax-deductible donation at any level today to support our ongoing efforts to take legal action that will significantly impact public policy, open government, and tax relief.
Connect with us on social: Stay connected with us on all of our social media platforms to stay in the loop about our cases, events, latest media updates, and chances to get involved.
As always, we are so grateful for your support.
See you in April!
Thank you,
Paige Jaramillo
Citizen Action Defense Fund