CASE SUMMARY
On January 19, 2022, a group of Washington voters filed a federal lawsuit against Washington's Secretary of State, House Speaker, and Senate Majority Leader challenging the Washington State Redistricting Commission's approved legislative redistricting plan as violating the federal Voting Rights Act. Specifically, plaintiffs assert that the approved plan cracks Latino voters in the Yakima Valley region across multiple districts, resulting in the dilution of their voting strength in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Additionally, they allege that the plan was drawn to intentionally discriminate against Latino voters in violation of Section 2. They are seeking a judicial declaration that the approved legislative plan violates the VRA, a preliminary and permanent injunction barring the defendants from utilizing the plan in future elections, and a court order implementing a valid legislative plan that includes a majority-Latino district in the Yakima Valley region.
On April 13, 2022 the district court issued an order dismissing the claims against the House Speaker and Senate Majority Leader and denying the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction, citing the Purcell principle that federal courts should refrain from interfering in a state's electoral processes in the period close to an election.
CASE LIBRARY
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Tacoma - No. 3:22-cv-5035
- Complaint - 1/19/22
- Plaintiffs' Motion for Scheduling Conference - 2/3/22
- Defendants' Joint Response to Plaintiffs' Motion for Scheduling Conference - 2/9/22
- Order Regarding Initial Disclosures, Joint Status Report, and Early Settlement - 2/10/22
- Joint Stipulated Motion and Order to Extend Defendants' Time to Respond to Complaint - 2/16/22
- Defendant Steven Hobbs' Answer to Complaint - 2/16/22
- Order - 2/17/22
- Motion to Dismiss by Defendants Laurie Jinkins and Andrew Billig - 2/23/22
- Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction - 2/25/22
- Notice That Defendant Hobbs Takes No Position - 2/25/22
- Order - 3/7/22
- Defendant Steven Hobbs' Amended Answer to Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief - 3/9/22
- Joint Status Report - 3/10/22
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Motion to Dismiss Defendants Laurie Jenkins and Andrew Billig - 3/14/22
- Defendant Secretary of State Steven Hobbs' Response to Defendants Jinkins and Billig's Motion to Dismiss - 3/14/22
- Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss Defendants Laurie Jinkins and Andrew Billig - 3/18/22
- Notice of Related Case - 3/18/22
- Defendant Jinkins and Billig's Response to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction - 3/21/22
- Defendant Secretary of State Steven Hobbs' Response to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction - 3/21/22
- Declaration of Kathy Fisher in Support of Defendant Secretary of State Steven Hobbs' Response to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction - 3/21/22
- Declaration of Stuart Holmes in Support of Defendant Secretary of State Steven Hobbs' Response to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction - 3/21/22
- Motion to Join Required Parties - 3/24/22
- Plaintiffs' Reply to Defendants' Responses to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction - 3/25/22
- Motion to Intervene - 3/29/22
- Defendants Jinkins and Billig's Response to Defendant Hobbs's Motion to Join Required Parties - 4/4/22
- Plaintiffs' Opposition to Defendant Secretary Hobbs' Motion to Join Required Parties - 4/4/22
- Proposed Intervenor-Defendants' Proposed Response in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction - 4/8/22
- Reply in Support of Motion to Join Required Parties - 4/8/22
- Plaintiffs' Reply in Opposition to Proposed Intervenor-Defendants' Proposed Response in Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction - 4/8/22
- Plaintiffs' Response in Opposition to Motion to Intervene - 4/11/22
- Order Granting Motion to Dismiss and Denying Motion for Preliminary Injunction - 4/13/22
- Proposed Intervenor-Defendants' Reply in Support of Motion to Intervene - 4/15/22
- Order of Joinder - 5/6/22
- Order Granting Motion to Intervene - 5/6/22
- Amended Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief - 5/13/22
- Intervenor-Defendants' Answer to Complaint - 5/13/22
- Stipulated Motion and Proposed Order Extending Defendant State of Washington's Time to Respond to Amended Complaint - 5/20/22
- Stipulated Motion and Order - 5/23/22