It’s official: I-27 to ban safe injection sites is on the ballot
Aug 17, 2017, 7:50 PM | Updated: 7:51 pm
(File, Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP)
(File, Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP)
King County elections officials have validated enough signatures to put I-27 on the ballot, according to proponents.
“We are gratified to have finally cleared this hurdle and for I-27 to have officially qualified for the ballot,” said Joshua Freed, a Bothell council member who spearheaded the initiative effort. “Voters deserve to have their say on government-sponsored heroin injection sites before Executive Constantine rushes to build them. We urge the King County Council to put I-27 on the November ballot at their meeting on Monday.”
RELATED: Options vanishing for second safe injection site
I-27 aims to ban safe injection sites in King County. The county currently has two sites planned — one in Seattle, and another site that has yet to be located. Supporters of safe injection sites argue that they will provide medical attention to addicts without the fear of being arrested for using illegal drugs. But considerable opposition to safe injection sites mounted in the form of I-27. Cities in King County have also preemptively passed resolutions banning the sites.
Which ballot I-27 will show up on is unknown, however. November is the next election, but the deadline to get on that ballot has passed. The King County Council will have to vote to make an exception for I-27 to get it to voters in November. Otherwise, it will appear on a special ballot in February 2018. King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert reportedly plans to put a resolution up for a vote in favor of putting I-27 on the November ballot, according to KOMO.
Freed also spoke up about a number of signatures that were not counted by officials.
“In addition, we remain alarmed that nearly 5,000 voters were disenfranchised by the clerk’s unconstitutional action of rejecting 454 petitions, and thus denying these voters their voice,” Freed said. “We urge the council to restore these voters’ rights and act decisively to ensure that future citizen initiatives are never again jeopardized by voter disenfranchisement.”
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