WASHINGTON STATE SUPREME COURT Second Amendment Foundation; Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Tyler G. Miller; Jane and John Does, Petitioners, VS. Kim Wyman, in her capacity as the Secretary of State; Paul Kramer, Initiative Measure No. 1639 sponsor; and Safe Schools Safe Communities PAC (aka Yes on 1639), Respondents. I. INTRODUCTION: Article 11 37 of the Washington State Constitution requires that an act that is revised or amended ?shall be set forth at full length.? That provision applies equally to the legislative and initiative processes.1 Initiative Measure No. 1639 violates this Constitution 1 State v. Thorne, 129 Wn.2d 736, 752-53 (1996). PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS REC ENED JUN 29 2018 WASHINGTON STATE SUPREME COURT No. Petition for Writ of Mandamus, Declaratory and Injunctive Relief Shawn limt thy Newman Attorney at Law~ 141931 Washington State- Director of the initiative at: Referencimn institute Clo. 2,507 Crestline Dr. NW Oly?i'?gi?, WA 98502?432" It") 360%66-2322 mandate and RCW 29A.72.100 which requires ?a readable, full, true, and correct copy of the proposed measure printed on the reverse side of the petition.? The full petition is attached as Exhibit 1.2 1t fails to comply with the Secretary of State?s regulations governing petitions which requires ?the full text of the measure printed on the back.? WAC The text used on the petition does not match the of?cial text that was provided by the Code Reviser?s of?ce and found on the Secretary of State?s website.3 Exhibit 2. It does not have any strike outs (designating words that are removed from the RCWs) or underlining (designating words that are added to the RCWs) that would disclose the proposed initiative?s impact on existing law.4 For example, compare the of?cial text for Initiative Measure No. 1639 on the Secretary of State?s website with what is printed on the back of the petition: a Section 3 [Enhanced Background Checks]: The Secretary of State?s website shows the proposed changes to existing law while the petition does not show any changes. 0 Section 4 [Waiting Period]: The Secretary of State?s website shows the proposed changes to existing law while the petition does not show any changes. 0 Section 13 [Raising the age to purchase a gun]: The Secretary of State?s website shows the proposed changes to existing law while the petition does not show any changes. 0 Section 16 [de?ning ?secured gun storage? and ?semiautomatic assault The Secretary of State?s website shows the proposed changes to existing law while the petition does not show any changes. Therefore, the Petitioners seek a writ of mandamus or prohibition directing the Secretary of State to reject those petitions. 2 The petition is printed on yellow paper and uses microscopic text [5-point condensed font size and 6-point leading (spacing between lines)]. 3 1531.pdf 4 See Of?ce of the Code Reviser Bill Drafting Guide 2017 drafting guideaspx PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS Shawn Timothy Newman" Attorney at Law. PS. ?41931 Washington State Director of the 2 initiative Referendum institute do 2507 Crestline Dr. NVN Oiympia, WA 98582?432? (P) 360-866-2322 II. JURISDICTION VENUE: 2.1 This court has original jurisdiction pursuant to Wash. Const. art. IV, 4. PARTIES: 3.1 The Second Amendment Foundation is a nonpro?t organization that supports gun rights. 3.2 The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a nonpro?t organization that is dedicated to protecting your ?rearms rights. 3.3 Tyler G. Miller is a resident of Bremerton, Washington and a registered voter. 3.4 Jane and John Does are voters who signed the initiative petition but were deceived because the petition did not disclose the proposed initiative's impact on existing law. 3.5 Kim Wyman is the Secretary of State and the State?s Chief Elections Of?cer. Initiative petitions are ?led with the Secretary of State as required by the Washington Constitution, art. II, 1. The Secretary of State is responsible for validating voter signatures on petitions. 3.6 Paul Kramer is the of?cial sponsor of Initiative Measure No. 163 9.5 5 His public contact information is posted on the Secretary of State?s website It is listed as: PO. Box 21712, Seattle, WA 981 1 PH: (206) 909-7641 of?cedbwagunresponsibilitv.org PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS Shawn Timothy Newman Attorney at law, RS. 141931 Washington {State Director of the 3 initiative Referendum institute Clo 2507 Crestline Dr. NW Oiympia. WA 98502?432" (P) 3613-8663322 3.7 Safe Schools Safe Communities is a Political Action Committee registered with the Public Disclosure Commission6 (aka Yes on 1639) and is designated as supporting Initiative Measure No. 1639.7 IV. FACTS: 4.1 The petition used for Initiative Measure No. 1639 is designated as Exhibit 1. 4.2 Initiative Measure No. 1639 as it appears on the Secretary of State?s website is designated as Exhibit 2. 4.3 The Safe Schools Safe Communities PAC (aka Yes On and Alliance for Gun Responsibility are collecting signatures to qualify Initiative Measure No. 1639 for the November ballot. 4.4 The Second Amendment Foundation and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms sent a letter dated June 18, 2018 via certi?ed mail to the Secretary of State, Attorney General, and sponsors and donors for Initiative Measure No. 1639. That letter is designated as Exhibit 3. 4.5 Tyler G. Miller declined to sign the petition because he ?noticed that no parts of the text contained struck-through text? as he had seen on other initiatives. Exhibit 4 [Miller Declaration]. According to his declaration, Mr. Miller ?did not see the speci?c language 6 The public contact information is posted on the Public Disclosure Commission?s website year?12018 It is listed as: PO. Box 4187, Seattle, WA 98194 PH: (206) 909-7641 Email: 7 The Alliance for Gun Responsibility website is: PETITION FOR WRIT OF MAN DAMUS Shawn Timothy Newman Attorney at Law: PS. 34193 Washington State Director of the 4 initiative Referendum institute city 2567 Crestline Dr, NW Oiympia, WA 98502?432? 360?866-2322 being affected and therefore could not determine the context or scope of the proposed change.? Mr. Miller goes on to state: When I inquired as to whether the petition in my had was the complete text, I was directed several times to the campaign website, Yesonl639.org,8 to ?nd out more information. When I attempted to do so, I found that the website contained neither the text of the petition I was asked to Sign, nor the text of the initiative anywhere on the site, nor any links or information on where I could ?nd the text of the initiative. Emphasis added. 4.6 Jane and John Does signed the petition for Initiative Measure No. 1639 but were deceived because the petition did not match the of?cial language or disclose the proposed initiative's impact on existing law. 4.7 The ?last business day to submit petition signatures supporting Initiatives to the People to the Secretary of State? is July 6, 2018.9 V. ARGUMENT: 5.1 The Washington State Constitution requires that an act that is revised or amended ?Lall be set forth at full length.? Wash. Const. art. II, 37 [Emphasis added]. 5.2 That provision applies equally to the legislative and initiative processes. State v. Thorne, 129 Wn.2d 736, 752-53 (1996). In Wash. Citizens Action of Wash. v. State, 162 Wn.2d 142, 151-152 (2007), the State Supreme Court stated that: Article 11, section 37 was intended both to ensure disclosure of the general effect of the new legislation and to show its speci?c impact on existing laws in order to avoid fraud or deception. Thus, a signi?cant purpose of article 11, section 37 8 9 (last visited 6/26/18). FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS Shawn Timothy Newman Attorney at Law. PS. 14293] Washington State Director of the 5 Initiative Referendum Institute (2/0 2507 Crestline Dr. NW Oiympia. WA 98502432" 360w866-2322 ensure that those enacting an amendatory law are fully aware of the proposed law's impact on existing law. [Emphasis added]. 5.3 RCW 29A.72.100 states: The person proposing the measure s_ha_l_1 print blank petitions upon single sheets of paper of good writing quality (including but not limited to newsprint) not less than eleven inches in width and not less than fourteen inches in length. Each petition at the time of circulating, signing, and ?ling with the secretary of state must consist of not more than one sheet with numbered lines for not more than twenty signatures, with the prescribed warning and title, be in the form required by RCW 29A.72.110, 29A.72.120, or 29A.72.130, and have a readable, full, true, and correct copy of the proposed measure printed on the reverse side of the petition. [Emphasis added] 5.4. The Secretary of State requires that petitions include ?the full text of the measure printed on the back.? WAC 5.5 Consistent with Article 11 37 of the Washington State Constitution, RCW 29A.72.100 and WAC the Secretary of State?s Initiative and Referendum Handbook states that a ?readable, full, true, and correct copy? of the ?complete text? is provided to the Attorney General for the creation of the Ballot Title and Ballot Summary must appear on the back of the petition. ?0 The full text of the measure must appear on the reverse side of the petition. The Of?ce of the Secretary of State must ascertain that the signer, at the time of signing the petition, had the opportunity to read the complete text of the measure. Otherwise, the Office of the Secretary of State cannot verify the signatures on that. ?0 Secretary of State Initiative and Referendum Handbook 2017 at 20. (last viewed 6/26/18). 1? Secretary of State Initiative and Referendum Handbook 2017 at 10. 7%20.pdf (last viewed 6/26/18). PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS Shawn Timothy Newman Attorney at Law. RS. 14193 Washington State Director of the 6 Initiative 8: Referendum institute cfo 2507 Crestline Dr. NW Olympia. WA 98502-432" (P) 360~866~2322 287 VI. RELIEF REQUESTED: Petitioners seek a declaration that the petitions for Initiative Measure No. 1639 violate Wash. Const. art. 11, 37, RCW 29A.72.100 and WAC and are therefore invalid. The 1?1639 petitions do not include a ?full, true, and correct copy of the proposed measure printed on the reverse side of the petition.? What is printed is not the of?cial text and, therefore, neither full, true or correct. Therefore, petitioners seek a writ of mandamus or prohibition enjoining the Secretary of State from processing the invalid petitions for Initiative Measure No. 1639. DATED: 6/29/18 2 7w ?h Timothy Newm'an A mey at Law, P.S. WSBA #14193 Washington State Director of the Initiative and Referendum Institute12 0/0 2507 Crestline Drive, NW. Olympia, WA 98502 PH: (360) 866-2322 Shawn@newmanlawolympia. com '2 The Initiative and Referendum Institute at the University of Southern California is a non-partisan educational organization dedicated to the study of the initiative and referendum, the two most important processes of direct democracy. PETITION FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS Shawn Timothy Newman Attorney at Law, PS. 14193, Washington State Director of the 7 initiative Referendum institute cz?o 2507 Crestiine Dr, NW Oiympia, WA 98502432~ (P) 360?866?2322 EXHIBIT 1 SIGN TO ENACT SAFER GUN (RENEW ESTABLISINW MMCIECIS ill'lmll! II null: Il?ilil STATE 11': Every person who signs this petition Iith any other than his or her true mm, signs more than one of these petitions, signs this petition when he or she is not a legal vote! or makes my raise statement on this petition may be pun?shed by ?ne or imprisonment or both.