Non-profit suit against Inslee over ongoing ‘state of emergency’ denied injunction

The Silent Majority Foundation, a non-profit group based out of Pasco, Wash., has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Jay Inslee, alleging that the governor overexerted his powers with two mandates that went into effect to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The group also filed an injunction request to halt all mandates involving wearing masks indoors in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and jails.

Thurston County judge has refused to grant the injunction request against Inslee’s mandates issued under the state of emergency, due to lack of evidence.

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The Silent Majority Foundation was also involved in last year’s failed recall attempt against Inslee for his mandates during the early stages of the pandemic, including wearing masks, limiting gatherings, and starting an eviction moratorium.

The group argues Inslee did not have a reason to institute a state of emergency for Washington, citing declining COVID-19 cases over the past six months in a third of Washington counties, when the mandates were reissued in March 2022. They argue that this means that there was not enough reason to institute state-wide mandates because an emergency was not found in all counties.

“This action challenges the Governor’s failure to find a state of emergency, to limit that state of emergency only to the affected area described in the Proclamation, and to terminate the emergency proclamation when order was restored in the affected area,” the suit claims, filed by lead attorney Pete Serrano.

Cases of COVID-19 are back on the rise across the state and country since the lawsuit was filed.

The lawsuit will continue despite the failure to get an injunction.

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