Court orders SeaTac $15-an-hour wage measure back on ballot

Courtesy: The Stand



SEATTLE -- King County Elections said Friday it will be placing an initiative proposing a $15-an-hour minimum wage for some SeaTac workers back on the Nov. 5 election ballot after the Washington Court of Appeals overturned a lower-court judge's ruling stripping it off.

Last month, King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas ordered that Proposition One -- the "Good Jobs Initiative" -- be taken off the ballot because, she said, there were duplicate signatures of voters on the petitions to place the measure on the ballot. The disqualified signatures left supporters 61 short of the number required.

But earlier Friday, the appeals court reversed Darvas' ruling and ordered it placed back on the ballot.

"King County Elections has received direction from The Court of Appeals of the State of Washington which in effect places an ordinance proposed by initiative petition back on the November 5, 2013 general election ballot," a King County Elections news release said. "The initiative relates to setting a minimum wage for certain workers in SeaTac and was removed from the Nov. 5 general election ballot on August 26, 2013 by order of the King County Superior Court.

"The department will include the SeaTac measure on the ballot and send the ballots for printing as scheduled. Ballots will be mailed to overseas and service voters on Sept. 20. Ballots will be mailed to local voters Oct. 16."