Opinion ID: 2564099
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Brisbane Is Harmful

Text: ¶ 96 Brisbane is harmful because it wrongly denies citizens fundamental rights. Rights of initiative and referenda are the first of all the sovereign rights of the citizen the right to speak ultimately and finally in matters of political concern. Howell, 107 Wash. at 171, 181 P. 920. Laws that limit this fundamental right should be strictly construed. However, Brisbane runs contrary to our constitution's rule favoring initiative and referenda in the absence of a clear legislative repeal. ¶ 97 Brisbane is also harmful because of the problems it creates for the drafting of legislation. Until Brisbane, there was no question that the legislature might prohibit local referenda by delegating authority to the legislative authority. What Anderson clearly reiterated, Brisbane unfortunately muddled. The majority's expansive reading of Brisbane puts the legislature in the position of having to include a provision in every bill affecting local government as to whether referenda should be allowed. The majority's assumption is that the people are not assumed to have such rights. But referenda exist as the people's check upon unconstitutional or abusive legislation. See Howell, 107 Wash. at 172, 181 P. 920 (the referendum was asserted . . . because the people . . . had become impressed with a profound conviction that the legislature had ceased to be responsive to the popular will.). The legislative branch has incentive to avoid referenda. The majority's adherence to Brisbane interferes with this important check-and-balance on abuse of government power. ¶ 98 Overruling Brisbane would also bring consistency with this court's decisions in Anderson and East Bellevue Community Council.