{"id":2535398,"date":"2026-01-13T18:42:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T23:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-org-demands-wa-legislature-hold-hearings-on-two-initiatives\/"},"modified":"2026-01-13T18:49:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T23:49:28","slug":"watchdog-org-demands-wa-legislature-hold-hearings-on-two-initiatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-org-demands-wa-legislature-hold-hearings-on-two-initiatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Watchdog org demands WA Legislature hold hearings on two initiatives"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwatchdog-org-demands-wa-legislature-hold-hearings-on-two-initiatives%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2535398&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) has formally demanded Washington&#8217;s Legislature hold hearings on two citizen initiatives sponsored by Let&#8217;s go Washington &#8211; one too restore broad parental access to student information and another to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/4-states-pushing-bills-to-keep-biological-men-out-of-womens-sports\/\" title=\"4 States Pushing ...s To Keep Biological Men Out Of Women\u2019s Sports\">ban transgender girls<\/a> from girls&#8217; sports &#8211; arguing the Legislature&#8217;s refusal violates the state constitution. CADF cites Article Two, \u00a71(a), which it says gives initiative measures precedence over other legislative matters except appropriation bills and requires them to be enacted or rejected without change.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen and House Speaker Laurie Jinkins have said they do not plan to hold hearings. They dispute CADF&#8217;s legal interpretation, noting the constitution contemplates sending some initiatives directly to voters and pointing out that many past initiatives received no hearings. Both leaders also emphasized that the initiatives are not yet certified; the Secretary of state is still verifying signatures and has reported logistical issues with mixed petition boxes.<\/p>\n<p>CADF says it may pursue legal action &#8211; including a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-rules-ca-gov-overstepped-his-authority-with-covid-order-issues-permanent-injunction-restraining-newsom-from-further-issuing-unconstitutional-orders\/\" title=\"Judge Rules CA Gov Overstepped His Authority with Covid Order, Issues Permanent Injunction Restraining Newsom From Further Issuing Un...al Orders\">superior court<\/a> lawsuit or a writ of mandamus to the state Supreme court &#8211; to compel the Legislature to comply.The group noted that lawmakers in 2024 responded to pressure and heard three initiatives that session.The article also recalls that the Legislature previously modified a voters&#8217; parents&#8217; bill of rights via House Bill 1296 in 2025, a change supporters said clarified student rights while critics argued it limited parental access to sensitive records.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Watchdog org demands WA Legislature hold hearings on two initiatives<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2472124\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; The Citizen Action Defense Fund, in a formal demand letter to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\">Democratic<\/a> leaders, argues the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington\/\">Washington<\/a> State Legislature&rsquo;s refusal to hold hearings on two citizen initiatives is unconstitutional because it violates a constitutional provision requiring initiatives to be prioritized over other legislative matters.<\/p>\n<p>During a legislative preview with reporters last week, both Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, and House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, indicated they have no plans to hold hearings on two Let&rsquo;s Go Washington-backed initiatives: one that would restore broad <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/parental-rights\/\">parental rights<\/a> to access student information and materials, reversing legislative changes, and another banning <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/transgender\/\">transgender<\/a> girls from girls&rsquo; sports, to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >protect female athletic competition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4417667\/rubio-says-us-cant-return-137-deported-venezuelans-delicate-negotiations-maduros-successor\/\">Rubio says US can&#8217;t return 137 deported Venezuelans due to &#8216;delicate&#8217; negotiations with Maduro&#8217;s successor<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4417159\/ex-nypd-commissioner-sues-eric-adams-defamation-mental-decline-claims\/\">Ex-NYPD commissioner sues Eric Adams for defamation over mental decline claims<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4417396\/eric-adams-aide-bribery-government-contracts\/\">Former Eric Adams aide charged with bribery involving government contracts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m certain that we will not be passing either of those initiatives,&rdquo; Pedersen said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ll be up to the voters to decide.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s not good enough, according to the CADF, which argues that the Legislature&rsquo;s refusal to hold hearings on citizen initiatives is unconstitutional because it violates a constitutional provision requiring initiatives to be prioritized over other legislative matters.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As fellow lawyers, I would hope that both of you could recognize that the legal case here is easy to make,&rdquo; CADF Executive Director and Counsel Jackson Maynard wrote in the Monday&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/citizenactiondefense.org\/cadf-demands-legislature-comply-with-state-constitution-to-hold-hearings-on-citizen-initiatives\/\">letter<\/a>. &ldquo;Article Two, &sect; 1(a) of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dccc-endorses-aggressive-gerrymander-to-leave-new-york-with-3-gop-seats\/\" title=\"DCCC Endorses Aggressive Gerrymander to Leave New York with 3 GOP Seats\">state constitution requires<\/a> that initiative measures &lsquo;shall take precedence over all other measures in the legislature except appropriation bills and shall either be enacted or rejected without change.&rsquo; To date, the Legislature is currently scheduled to hear hundreds of non-appropriation bills in committees that do not have this special constitutional protection.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Democratic leaders didn&rsquo;t shy away from commenting on the demand letter at a Tuesday&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/tvw.org\/video\/legislative-democratic-leaders-media-availability-2026011124\/?eventID=2026011124\">media event<\/a>&nbsp;in Olympia.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think that isn&rsquo;t what is required by the state Constitution,&rdquo; Pedersen told The Center Square. &ldquo;Jackson&rsquo;s just not correct.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He went on to say, &ldquo;The citizens who signed them anticipated either the Legislature would take action or the people would get a chance to vote &ndash; and the people will get a chance to vote.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Jinkins also addressed the demand letter.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I would just say that those who assert it should, instead of cherry picking a word from the constitution, that they actually need to read the constitution,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The constitution itself anticipates the Legislature taking no action &ndash; that phrase is actually in the constitution &ndash; and sending it to the voters. Right? We have a long history of initiatives to the Legislature in this state &ndash; over 20 of them in the last 35 years &ndash; well over half of them never had hearings.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The two initiatives have had their signatures submitted to the Secretary of State&rsquo;s Office, but are&nbsp;not yet officially certified&nbsp;for having enough valid signatures. They are currently undergoing the signature verification process.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;By the way, that&rsquo;s assuming that they&rsquo;re certified,&rdquo; Pedersen noted. &ldquo;Because one of the things we&rsquo;ve started to hear from the Secretary of State&rsquo;s Office is that, notwithstanding the various precise-sounding numbers, that the campaign claimed to bring, the boxes that they had had mixed up petitions from each initiative mixed in the same box, and the Secretary of State&rsquo;s Office had to spend the first two days just sorting the papers to figure out which one was which.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Let&rsquo;s Go Washington&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/washington\/article_40b10149-e2bf-4317-a0e0-882209095331.html\">submitted<\/a>&nbsp;more than 400,000 signatures for each of its two initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>CADF is exploring a few options if no hearings are held, &ldquo;including a lawsuit to the superior court or a writ of mandamus to the state Supreme Court that would effectively mandate that the Legislature follow the state constitution and give precedence to the bills by hearing them,&rdquo; CADF Director of Communications and Operations Paige McElwrath emailed The Center Square.<\/p>\n<p>She held out hope there would be hearings, noting that when the lawmakers &ldquo;received pressure in 2024 after implying they wouldn&rsquo;t hear initiatives for that legislative session, they ultimately did hear and pass three. We have no way of predicting how they will handle it this year, but we&rsquo;re prepared to explore all legal avenues to ensure Washingtonians&rsquo; voices are heard.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/4416613\/supreme-court-questions-biological-differences-womens-sports\/\">SUPREME COURT QUESTIONS WHETHER HORMONE DRUGS CAN ERASE BOYS&rsquo; BIOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE OVER GIRLS IN SPORTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That year, three citizen initiatives &ndash; lifting restrictions on police vehicle pursuits, prohibiting income taxes, and establishing a &ldquo;bill of rights&rdquo; for parents of K-12 students &ndash; were approved by the Legislature and became law. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Legislature modified the parents&rsquo; bill of rights initiative by passing&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/BillSummary\/?BillNumber=1296&amp;Year=2025&amp;Initiative=false\">House Bill 1296<\/a>&nbsp;in 2025, which Gov. Bob Ferguson signed into law. Proponents of HB 1296 argue that it clarifies student rights, while critics &ndash; including Let&rsquo;s Go Washington, which was behind the original parents&rsquo; bill of rights initiative &ndash; contend that it undermines the voter-approved parents&rsquo; bill of rights by removing parental access to sensitive medical and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/viral-video-of-ahmaud-arberys-death-prompts-challenges-in-jury-selection-for-high-profile-murder-trial-in-ga\/\" title=\"Viral video of Ahmaud Arbery\u2019s death prompts challenges in jury selection for high-profile murder trial in Ga.\">mental health records<\/a> and limiting oversight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watchdog demands WA lawmakers hear two initiatives<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2535399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-statehouse-legislature-olympia.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[40230,70851,43525,32667,62184],"class_list":["post-2535398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-ballot-initiatives","tag-legislative-hearings","tag-state-legislature","tag-washington-state","tag-watchdog-group"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-statehouse-legislature-olympia.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2535398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2535398"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2535398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2535411,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2535398\/revisions\/2535411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2535399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2535398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2535398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2535398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}