Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com In November 2024, nearly two million Washingtonians did something radical: they took a vote. Not a legislature. Not a governor. Not a building code council. The people said, "We will keep access to natural gas — the fuel that heats our homes, fills our bathtubs, and cooks our dinner."
They won. A majority of us said yes.
Gary Gaskill
Then, in September 2026, six unelected judges looked at that vote and said, "Actually, no."
The Washington Supreme Court struck down Initiative 2066 in a 6–3 decision, citing the state constitution's single-subject rule as the reason the entire measure was invalid. Whether you think that reasoning is correct or not, the result is the same: the people's vote was erased by people who never had to stand for election.
This is not a disagreement about policy. This is a disagreement about who gets to decide. Our constitution gives the people the power of the initiative precisely so that no small group of experts — judges, bureaucrats, or otherwise — can veto what the majority wants. When the court overrides a ballot measure, it doesn't just kill a law. It tells every citizen in this state: your vote doesn't count if we don't like it.
Here's the good news. For the first time in a long while, five of the nine seats on the Washington Supreme Court are up for election this November. These are not lifetime appointments. These are people who will answer to us, not to a governor.
I'm asking you to vote for justices who understand that their job is to apply the law, not to second-guess the people:
Position #1 – Scott Edwards
Position #3 – David Stevens
Position #4 – Sean O’Donnell
Position #5 – Dave Larson
Position #7 – Todd Bloom
Remember E-SLOB: Edwards, Stevens, Larson, O'Donnell, Bloom.
Our Founders didn't build a system where a handful of robed officials can undo what the people decide. If you believe your vote matters — if you believe the people are the final authority in this state — then please show up this November and vote E-SLOB.
Stop Washington's judicial tyranny.
Gary Gaskill
Camas
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