Opinion ID: 2622018
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Whether the Act violates the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution

Text: ś 58 Equal protection under the law is required by both the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and article I, section 12 of the Washington Constitution. O'Hartigan, 118 Wash.2d at 121, 821 P.2d 44. Equal protection requires that `all persons similarly situated should be treated alike.' Id. (quoting City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Ctr., Inc., 473 U.S. 432, 439, 105 S.Ct. 3249, 87 L.Ed.2d 313 (1985)). The equal protection clause is aimed at securing equality of treatment by prohibiting hostile discrimination. Andersen, 158 Wash.2d at 15, 138 P.3d 963. Under the equal protection clause, the appropriate level of scrutiny depends on the nature of the classification or rights involved. Id. at 18, 138 P.3d 963. Suspect classifications are subject to strict scrutiny. Id. at 19, 138 P.3d 963 (citing City of Cleburne, 473 U.S. at 440, 105 S.Ct. 3249). Race, alienage, and national origin are examples of suspect classifications. [31] Id. Strict scrutiny also applies to laws burdening fundamental rights or liberties. Id. at 24, 138 P.3d 963. Intermediate scrutiny applies only `if the statute implicates both an important right and a semi-suspect class not accountable for its status.' Madison, 161 Wash.2d at 103, 163 P.3d 757 (quoting In re Pers. Restraint of Runyan, 121 Wash.2d 432, 448, 853 P.2d 424 (1993)). The Post does not argue smokers or private facilities constitute suspect classes, and we already determined no fundamental rights are involved. ś 59 If a suspect classification or fundamental right is not involved, rational basis review applies. Andersen, 158 Wash.2d at 18, 138 P.3d 963. A classification passes rational basis review `so long as it bears a rational relation to some legitimate end.' Id. at 23, 138 P.3d 963 (quoting Romer v. Evans, 517 U.S. 620, 631, 116 S.Ct. 1620, 134 L.Ed.2d 855 (1996)). Social and economic legislation that does not implicate a suspect class or fundamental right is presumed to be rational; this presumption may be overcome by a clear showing that the law is arbitrary and irrational. Hodel v. Indiana, 452 U.S. 314, 331-32, 101 S.Ct. 2376, 69 L.Ed.2d 40 (1981). A legislative distinction will withstand a minimum scrutiny analysis if, first, all members of the class are treated alike; second, there is a rational basis for treating differently those within and without the class; and third, the classification is rationally related to the purpose of the legislation. O'Hartigan, 118 Wash.2d at 122, 821 P.2d 44. In reviewing the statute, the court may assume the existence of any conceivable state of facts that could provide a rational basis for the classification. Andersen, 158 Wash.2d at 31, 138 P.3d 963. The classification need not be made with `mathematical nicety,' and its application may `result[ ] in some inequality.' Id. at 32, 138 P.3d 963 (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Heller v. Doe, 509 U.S. 312, 321, 113 S.Ct. 2637, 125 L.Ed.2d 257 (1993)). `It is no requirement of equal protection that all evils of the same genus be eradicated or none at all.' O'Hartigan, 118 Wash.2d at 124, 821 P.2d 44 (quoting Ry. Express Agency, Inc. v. New York, 336 U.S. 106, 110, 69 S.Ct. 463, 93 L.Ed. 533 (1949)). ś 60 In a recent case, an association of businesses argued Colorado's smoking ban violated the equal protection clause because smoking was banned in businesses such as bars and bingo halls, but allowed in casinos. Coal. for Equal Rights, 458 F.Supp.2d at 1257-61. The association argued the exceptions for casinos and airport smoking lounges were not rationally related to the smoking ban's articulated purpose. Id. at 1259. The court rejected this claim, noting it is the province of the legislature to make such classifications and such a classification must be upheld as long as there is `any reasonably conceivable state of facts that could provide a rational basis for the classification.' Id. at 1260 (quoting Heller, 509 U.S. at 320, 113 S.Ct. 2637). Furthermore, although the association argued casinos were exempted solely for financial reasons, there was no support for the proposition that the state could not consider the fiscal impact of legislation under rational basis review. Id. ś 61 Like the association in Coalition for Equal Rights, the Post argues the smoking ban exemption for hotel rooms is based upon economic concerns. [32] The Post argues prohibiting smoking in some private facilities that are places of employment, such as the Post, while allowing smoking in hotel rooms is discriminatory treatment. The Post argues this treatment is irrational because it is based upon economic concerns. However, the cases cited by the Post do not support its assertion that the legislature may not consider factors other than public health in determining where smoking should be banned. [33] ś 62 The Post's claim must fail because it has not established it is treated differently than a similarly situated entity in its class. The Post fails to offer any evidence that hotels are being treated differently than the Post. The Post produced a document from the DOH entitled More Frequently Asked Questions from December 2005 opining that smoking is allowed in up to 25 percent of hotel rooms. CP at 126-27. This opinion is not evidence of discriminatory treatment. ś 63 Even if discriminatory treatment existed, the legislative distinctions are rational. First, all private facilities that are places of employment are treated the same. The Post is not similarly situated to a hotel because it is not in the business of providing sleeping quarters. Second, there is a rational basis for treating hotels differently than private facilities. For example, the legislature could have determined hotel employees have limited access to the rooms while guests are present, whereas employees at facilities such as the Post may be required to spend their entire work shift in secondhand smoke. This conceivable argument serves as a rational basis for treating the two facilities differently and it is rationally related to the purpose of the Act, which is to protect employees from secondhand smoke in their workplaces.