Washington Supreme Court Reverses Itself In Century-Old Case, Affirms Yakama Nation Treaty Rights

By Enrique Pérez de la Rosa
File photo. The reservation of the Yakama Nation in south-central Washington covers over 2,000 square miles, with areas patrolled by tribal, city and county law enforcement.
The Washington State Supreme Court reversed a century-old ruling Friday against a Yakama Nation tribal member for fishing outside the reservation. The 1916 ruling mandated criminal charges against Alec Towessnute for fishing outside the Yakama reservation on traditional fishing grounds – a right assured by the Yakama’s Treaty of 1855 with the federal government. Read More

Washington Supreme Court Rules State Lawmakers Are Subject To Public Disclosure Law

By Austin Jenkins
File photo of the Washington Senate gallery. CREDIT: WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE
In a 7-to-2 decision, the Washington Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that individual state lawmakers are subject to the state’s Public Records Act (PRA) and therefore must disclose records such as emails and calendars. In doing so, the high court upheld a lower court ruling and delivered a significant victory to media outlets that sued over access to lawmaker records. Read More

Washington’s $30 Car Tabs Initiative On Hold, And Tim Eyman Calls For People Not To Pay Anything

By Tom Banse
Initiative sponsor Tim Eyman spoke outside the Washington State Supreme Court on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. CREDIT: Tom Banse/N3
Thursday was supposed to be the day that a Washington state ballot measure to lower car registration fees took effect. But the state Supreme Court has let an injunction stand against what is known as the $30 car tabs initiative. That means hundreds of thousands of drivers will get full price bills in the coming months that they thought they had voted to reduce.Read More

‘Deep State’ Or Deep Sixed? The Washington Supreme Court Race That’s Getting Buried

By Austin Jenkins
Washington State Supreme Court building in Olympia. CREDIT: TONY OVERMAN
Six years ago, Steven Gonzalez's last name likely cost him votes in his first race for the Washington Supreme Court. He won nonetheless. Gonzalez is just one of three sitting Washington justices up for re-election this year. Justices Susan Owens and Sheryl Gordon McCloud are running unopposed after their opponents were bounced from the ballot because they were disbarred lawyers.Read More
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