Pacifica Law Group attorney Paul Lawrence argued before the Washington Supreme Court today on behalf of a broad coalition of public interest advocates, business interests, and local governments, urging the Court to affirm a trial court ruling holding Initiative 2066 (I-2066) unconstitutional.
I-2066, a 2024 ballot initiative sponsored by the Building Industry Association of Washington, was presented to voters under the guise of preserving access to natural gas. However, the initiative goes far beyond that narrow framing, substantially and silently altering an array of clean air and climate laws, including the Clean Air Act, state and local building energy codes, and provisions of the Decarbonization Act, among others.
In March 2025, the King County Superior Court struck down I-2066, agreeing with Pacifica’s clients that the initiative violated the Washington Constitution and misled voters, who narrowly approved I-2066 with just 51.7% of the vote.
At today’s argument, Lawrence urged the Supreme Court to affirm that ruling, which declared I-2066 unconstitutional on three grounds. First, that I-2066 violates Washington’s single-subject rule, which prohibits combining a narrow and seemingly popular proposal with sweeping and unrelated policy changes, a practice known as “logrolling.” Second, that the initiative’s title failed to inform voters of its full scope. And third, that I-2066 failed to set forth in full each of the state law provisions it would alter or conflict with, preventing voters from understanding its effects.
“This appeal raises the question of whether an initiative can combine a narrow popular subject, whether to preserve access or use of natural gas,…with a much broader” set of subjects, Lawrence argued before the Court. “Whether to achieve clean air; whether to restrict energy efficient building codes; whether to prohibit local government from promoting and incentivizing using more energy efficient appliances; whether to prevent a large utility from educating consumers about sustainable energy . . . and generally overturning the state’s climate policy issues. And the answer is no. I-2066 represents a classic case of logrolling, combining a popular proposal with proposals that voters might or might not reject.”
The coalition challenging I-2066 consists of Climate Solutions, Washington Conservation Action, Washington Solar Energy Industries Association, Front and Centered, Sierra Club, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, King County, the City of Seattle, Dwell Development, and local sustainable builder Anthony Maschmedt.
The Pacifica litigation team representing the coalition also includes Kai Smith and Noe Merfeld.
The video of the argument is available here.
More on I-2066
“Energy affordability and clean air on the line.” Climate Solutions. January 23, 2026.
“WA Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Natural Gas Ban Initiative.” The Seattle Times. January 23, 2026.
“Legal fight over natural gas initiative crescendoes at WA Supreme Court.” Washington State Standard. January 23, 2026.
