Summary
In 2009, the civil action group Envision Spokane got a Spokane Community Bill of Rights on the ballot recognizing rights of nature, but it was voted down. The group tried again in 2011, but that was also voted down. The Community Bill of Rights says residents have the right to a locally-based economy, affordable preventative healthcare, affordable and safe housing, affordable and renewable energy, and to determine the future of their neighborhoods. It also said workers have the right to be paid the prevailing wage and the right o work as apprentices on certain construction projects as well as the right to employer neutrality when unionizing and the right to constitutional portections within the workplace. In 2013, a coalition of business groups and local government entities challenged the measure in court and won. The court ruled that the language of the initiative was too vague.
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2026. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/spokane-community-bill-of-rights/.
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