OLYMPIA — The Washington Supreme Court today struck down Initiative 2066, the voter-approved 2024 measure that aimed to protect access to natural gas for homes and businesses and limit state and local policies that restrict or discourage its use.
The court ruled 6-3 that I-2066 violated the Washington Constitution’s single-subject requirement. The majority concluded that provisions involving utility policy, building codes and air-pollution regulations were not sufficiently connected and invalidated the initiative in its entirety. The court’s decision did not determine whether the underlying policy of preserving access to natural gas is constitutional.
Washington voters approved I-2066 in November 2024 after supporters submitted more than 533,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot.
Sen. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, released the following statement in response to the ruling:
“Washington voters had their say on I-2066. They voted to preserve access to natural gas and protect families’ and businesses’ ability to choose the energy source that works for them. Today’s ruling doesn’t erase what voters told us.
“The court didn’t rule that protecting access to natural gas is unconstitutional. Instead, the majority struck down I-2066 under the Constitution’s single-subject rule, concluding that its provisions dealing with utility policy, building codes and air-pollution regulations were not sufficiently connected.
“I disagree with that conclusion. As the dissent points out, those provisions were connected by the same basic purpose: protecting access to natural gas and preventing government policies that prohibit, penalize or discourage its use.
“The court has made its decision, but the policy issue is still very much alive. The Legislature can and should take it up again. We have the opportunity to write legislation that meets the Constitution’s requirements while protecting access to natural gas as an option for families and businesses in the 8th District and across Washington.
“I’m also troubled by what I’m hearing more and more from people who feel like the Washington Supreme Court has become the place where initiatives go to die. Whether you agree or disagree with a particular initiative, that perception should concern all of us.
“The initiative process belongs to the people. It gives Washingtonians recourse when they fundamentally disagree with something their Legislature has done. Look at what happened with I-2066. In a matter of weeks, supporters gathered hundreds of thousands of signatures. More than 533,000 were submitted, the initiative qualified for the ballot, and voters approved it.
“That’s a lot of people taking the time to participate in their government. When they go through that process and their initiative is later struck down by the court, it raises a bigger question about whether that constitutional right still provides the check on government that it was intended to provide.
“I-2066 may have been struck down, but the issue isn’t going away. I’ll continue working with homebuilders, businesses and others to protect energy choice and find a path forward in the Legislature.”
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