Court: Citizens don't get to vote on red light cameras

BY Chris Sullivan  on March 8, 2012 @ 7:45 am (Updated: 1:28 pm - 3/8/12 )

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The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that citizens cannot file initiatives to vote on red-light cameras. (AP Photo) | Zoom
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The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that citizens cannot file initiatives to vote on red light cameras.

In a 5-4 opinion, the Washington Supreme Court ruled the Legislature granted the authority to install these cameras to local jurisdictions, and that they are not able to be voted on by the public.

Anti-red light camera activist Tim Eyman said it's strange that the high court would restrict voters' rights.

"There are certain topics you children, the voters, aren't qualified to make votes on," Eyman said. "I think that's just maddening."

The lawsuit comes from Mukilteo where an initiative made the ballot and nearly 71 percent of people voted to remove the red light cameras, and the cameras came down.

Even though the high court said it was worded as a binding initiative, the city council treated the results as advisory and then did away with the cameras Mukilteo already had.

Eyman has since expanded his anti-red-light-camera campaign to other cities, calling the cameras "taxation by citation." In several other cities that have done away with the cameras, including Bellingham and Longview, votes have been advisory, not binding _ and thus would not have been prohibited under Thursday's ruling.

"We may have lost this battle, but we're winning the war," Eyman said. "The advisory votes seem to have as much political impact as binding votes do, and voters are just overwhelmingly on our side."

The four justices in the minority said the vote in Mukilteo was advisory, so there was no reason to rule on whether red-light-camera ordinances are subject to local initiatives.

"The city council has repealed the ordinance allowing the use of red-light cameras in Mukilteo," Justice Jim Johnson wrote. "The matter was appropriately and constitutionally resolved through the political process."

The Associated Press has contributed to this report.

Chris Sullivan, KIRO Radio Reporter
Chris loves the rush of covering breaking news and works hard to try to make sense of it all while telling stories about real people in extraordinary circumstances.
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Comments (24)


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  • notmygov1 wrote...
    You have got to be kidding
    March 8, 2012 10:08 am
    The first thing we need to do is vote all these people out of office. Since when do we the people not have a say in the way life is. Remember this folks get the dems OUT.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • awbitf wrote...
    not just get the dems out
    March 8, 2012 10:23 am
    all incumbents. sitting republicans are just as useless
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • grow up/get real wrote...
    Welcome the the Peoples Republic of WA State:
    March 8, 2012 10:29 am
    where the voters are so stupid (that's what those in government tell us) the Mommy State has taken that right away from us. Now go get in line with the other ants and kept your mouth shut.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Exhausted wrote...
    Citizens can't vote on red light cameras
    March 8, 2012 10:31 am
    said the Washinton State supreme court, who is owned by the Democrats. All we are allowed to do is BEND OVER and hope they supply the vaseline!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Disgraceful!
    March 8, 2012 11:02 am
    Another example of Liberal judges overturning the "wil of the people". This seems to be an ongoing theme in this State. We vote. We win by majority. The Liberal Court overturns the vote. Something STINKS!!! I believe it's the stench of LIberalism run amuck!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • FormerMarineSgt wrote...
    Ok - this is pathetic... NO ONE is paying any attention to the law in this case...
    March 8, 2012 1:38 pm
    Please folks - before you continue to shoot off your mouths like uniformed morons - Please pay attention. 1- State law over-rides local law on many things. 2- this is one of those cases. 3- to change the red light camera laws, one must do so AT THE STATE LEVEL. Remember Seattle trying to make gun free zones - it was thrown out too. FOR THE SAME REASON. Ocassionally the law works for you (seattle gun restrictions) and sometimes the VERY SAME RULE works against you (red light camera law). Work within the law instead of just spewing how wrong it is (btw - I have red light cameras too)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick (4) wrote...
    Actually, the citizens of this state can vote on red light cameras
    March 8, 2012 11:14 am
    But they must do it on the state level and change the RCW that allows local governments to put up these cameras.

    Another good thing to do would be to vote all of these liberals out of office, but we all know that will not happen.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • calapete wrote...
    ha ha!
    March 8, 2012 11:49 am
    what is poor Timmy LIEman going to do now??? This is a win for Washington State. I applaud the courts for making a decision, we are a republic, not a democracy. We vote in legislators to make laws. If Timmy LIEman wants to help, he can run for office.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wafire wrote...
    you bike
    March 8, 2012 6:11 pm
    Calapete...you must ride a bike... But FYI everyone, try not paying your ticket. There is nothing they can do. I had one over 2 years ago in Lynnwood and I said I wasn't driving the vehicle and there have been no ramifications. Nothing on my credit report, renewed my license and get letters from them but they won't collect a penny from me. BTW, it was a rolling stop to make a right hand turn on a red, that it took the picture.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    but somehow, and I don't know how
    March 8, 2012 11:51 am
    we are smart enough to vote for our supreme court justices. Go figure.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • IrishCov wrote...
    Budgetary Constraints
    March 8, 2012 12:02 pm
    Voters don't have a say in operational matters until elections where the BS becomes currency. My opponent wants to kill babies and is anti puppy, but my baby is a puppy so vote for me. Also these camera's have a unique business model they sign an agreement for X, which is based on projected rev share. If you take them down you owe the AZ company X in a lump sum payment. Federal Way can't take theirs down, because they are in the hole and are keeping them up hoping to go positive.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Nickatnyt wrote...
    Run for local office on the 'anti-red light camera' platform
    March 8, 2012 12:06 pm
    Should be an easy win!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Moondoggie wrote...
    Lefties will be sorry.
    March 8, 2012 1:17 pm
    Actually, the citizens of this state can vote on red light cameras But they must do it on the state level ----Rick gave the right answer. We need to pass a state wide initiative to ban red-light-cameras. Now, who could we get to lead such a fight? Golly if only there was somebody who had done this sort of thing before. Perhaps someone who isn’t a wallflower, you know, somebody who isn’t afraid to stir the pot a little. Hear that knocking sound, Tim? IT”OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING!!!!!! This will be you easiest campaign ever. Some on the left wish the court had not done this, because the smart lefties know that this is the beginning on the end for red-light-cameras.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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