Wash. Supreme Court published opinion — 1012055.pdf

Citation: Wash. Supreme Court published opinion — 1012055.pdf
Jurisdiction: Washington (state)
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Original Source: https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/1012055.pdf ↗

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I agree that the attorney general has the authority to appear in any case, such

as this one, where the state has an interest. See RCW 43.10.030(1); City of Seattle

v. McKenna, 172 Wn.2d 551, 562, 259 P.3d 1087 (2011). As article I, section 1 of

our state constitution firmly states, governments “are established to protect and

maintain individual rights.” WASH. CONST. art. I, § 1. The State, our elected

officials, and municipalities have the power and the obligation to protect the

health, safety, and well-being of everyone who lives in Washington. See generally

State v. Mountain Timber Co., 75 Wash. 581, 585-89, 135 P. 645 (1913), aff’d,

243 U.S. 219, 37 S. Ct. 260, 61 L. Ed. 685 (1917).
For the current opinion, go to https://www.lexisnexis.com/clients/wareports/.
State v. City of Sunnyside, No. 101205-5 (González, C.J., concurring in part and dissenting in
part)

Housing is critical to the health, safety, and well-being of both individuals

and the community. Housing is “necessary to secure other fundamental rights and

interests. Access to employment, education, voting, health care, and most other

public and private interests is greatly diminished, if not eliminated, when stable,

suitable housing is unavailable.” Hundtofte v. Encarnación, 181 Wn.2d 1, 23-24,

330 P.3d 168 (2014) (González, J., dissenting). Housing is important to

Washington, and Washington’s attorney general has the power to protect fair

access to it.

Washington also has a moral obligation to stop discrimination and

deprivation of constitutional rights by those who act under color of law. See State

v. Zamora, 199 Wn.2d 698, 709, 512 P.3d 512 (2022) (quoting State v. Monday,

171 Wn.2d 667, 680, 257 P.3d 551 (2011)). Discrimination is “a matter of state