Opinion ID: 2631774
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Mootness of Preelection Challenge

Text: ¶ 13 The city contends that the narrow issue of whether the initiative was beyond the scope of the initiative power granted to the residents of Sequim, an action it brought before the election was held, is not moot and therefore is properly in front of this court. Malkasian argues that because an intervening election occurred in which the voters approved the initiative, this case is transformed into a postelection challenge and the subject matter challenge is moot. He is incorrect. ¶ 14 An issue is moot if the matter is purely academic. State v. Turner, 98 Wash.2d 731, 733, 658 P.2d 658 (1983) (quoting Grays Harbor Paper Co. v. Grays Harbor County, 74 Wash.2d 70, 73, 442 P.2d 967 (1968)). However, an issue is not moot if a court can provide any effective relief. Turner, 98 Wash.2d at 733, 658 P.2d 658 (citing Pentagram Corp. v. City of Seattle, 28 Wash. App. 219, 223, 622 P.2d 892 (1981)). See also 13A CHARLES ALAN WRIGHT, ARTHUR R. MILLER & EDWARD H. COOPER, FEDERAL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE § 3533.3, at 261 (2d ed. 1984) (The central question of all mootness problems is whether changes in the circumstances that prevailed at the beginning of litigation have forestalled any occasion for meaningful relief.); Church of Scientology of Cal. v. United States, 506 U.S. 9, 13, 113 S.Ct. 447, 121 L.Ed.2d 313 (1992) (the availability remedy need not be fully satisfactory to avoid mootness). ¶ 15 Malkasian argues that the issues relevant in a preelection review automatically became moot when the election was held, relying on State ex rel. Jones v. Byers, 24 Wash.2d 730, 167 P.2d 464 (1946). That case has no application, however, given the facts of this case. ¶ 16 In Jones, a petitioner sought a restraining order to stop a vote on a measure that would dissolve a school district and in its place form a new school district through consolidation. The petitioner maintained that the various county committees required to develop a comprehensive plan prior to the election failed to properly do so. Prior to the election, a hearing was held on the merits and the petitioner did not prevail. An election was then held in which the voters approved the dissolution of the school district and the formation of a new school district. On appeal, the court held that the matter was moot because [t]he litigation was instituted solely for the purpose of preventing an election which had already taken place. Id. at 733, 167 P.2d 464. In such case, [n]o effectual judgment can be rendered. Id. (quoting Mackay v. Dever, 49 Wash. 439, 440, 95 P. 860 (1908)). ¶ 17 Unlike in Jones, Sequim did not bring an action solely to prevent an election. Rather, the city also sought a declaratory judgment that the initiative was beyond the scope of the initiative power of the residents of Sequim. Where the subject matter of an initiative is beyond the scope of the initiative power, it is not proper for direct legislation. Coppernoll, 155 Wash.2d at 299, 119 P.3d 318; Seattle Bldg. & Constr. Trades Council v. City of Seattle, 94 Wash.2d 740, 745-46, 620 P.2d 82 (1980). It is well-settled that it is proper to bring such narrow challenges prior to an election. Coppernoll, 155 Wash.2d at 299, 119 P.3d 318 (subject matter challenges prior to an election are proper because they do not raise concerns regarding justiciability because postelection events will not further sharpen the issue, i.e., the subject of the proposed measure is either proper for direct legislation or it is not); Philadelphia II v. Gregoire, 128 Wash.2d 707, 717, 911 P.2d 389 (1996) (courts will review a proposed initiative prior to an election to determine if it is beyond the scope of the initiative power) (citing Seattle Bldg. & Constr., 94 Wash.2d at 746, 620 P.2d 82; Leonard v. City of Bothell, 87 Wash.2d 847, 557 P.2d 1306 (1976); Ruano v. Spellman, 81 Wash.2d 820, 505 P.2d 447 (1973); Ford v. Logan, 79 Wash.2d 147, 483 P.2d 1247 (1971)). See also Priorities First v. City of Spokane, 93 Wash.App. 406, 411, 968 P.2d 431 (1998). ¶ 18 Malkasian has cited no authority, and we have found none, to support his position that voter approval of an initiative changes, modifies, or enlarges the subject matter that is proper for direct legislation through initiative or referendum. Indeed, the law is plainly to the contrary. As we recently concluded in Coppernoll, 155 Wash.2d at 299, 119 P.3d 318, the subject matter of the initiative is either proper for direct legislation or it is not. ¶ 19 In this case, this court can still provide effective relief. The city requested three types of relief: (1) an injunction preventing the initiative from being placed on the ballot, (2) a declaratory judgment that the initiative was beyond the scope of the initiative power of the residents of Sequim and was thus invalid, and (3) any other relief the court deems just. CP at 300-301. While the election has already taken place and this court can no longer impose an injunction preventing the election, other effective remedies exist. For example, if this court finds that the subject matter of the initiative was outside the scope of the relevant initiative power, this court can invalidate the initiative. Accordingly, because we can grant an effective remedy, we hold that the preelection challenge, whether the subject matter of the initiative is beyond the scope of the initiative power of the residents of Sequim, is not moot.