Supreme Court rejects Spokane bill of rights effort

SPOKANE — The state Supreme Court has rejected an effort to put a “community bill of rights” on the ballot in the city of Spokane.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Thursday that the initiative exceeded the scope of local legislative authority.

In 2013, a group called Envision Spokane gathered enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot.

The initiative had provisions relating to zoning changes, water rights, workplace rights, and the rights of corporations.

Opponents, including local governments and businesses and individual residents of Spokane, challenged the initiative, and won at the trial level.

Envision Spokane appealed, and the Court of Appeals held that opponents lacked standing and ordered the initiative be put on the next available ballot. But the Supreme Court overturned that decision.