Update: This story was updated with details from the climate coalition virtual press conference on Sept. 17. Last updated 2:35 p.m.

OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A voter-backed initiative has been struck down by the state’s highest court.

The Washington State Supreme Court ruled 6-3 earlier Thursday, Sept. 17 that Initiative 2066 is fully unconstitutional.

Justices sided with a ruling from King County Superior Court, stating that the initiative’s language tackling several different topics goes against state law.

The dissenting opinion, written by Justice Salvador Mungia, said the law would be constitutional if a few sections were removed that didn’t contribute to preserving consumers’ access to natural gas.

My Bellingham Now previously reported that the measure passed by 52% in 2024.

If it had gone into effect, the state would have been banned from enacting laws or regulations to discourage the use of natural gas. It also contained provisions that would have rolled back incentives for developers who choose more environmentally-friendly forms of energy.

The climate coalition that initially brought the challenge celebrated the win. Leaders in the coalition said in a virtual press conference Thursday that the initiative backers mislead voters to believe their access to natural gas was being taken away.

This initiative was struck down based on the merits of the constitutionality of the initiative as a whole, Kai Smith, attorney for the coalition, said.

He noted a similar initiative can still be put in front of the voters to challenge clean energy efforts, just so long as it doesn’t violate single-subject rules in the state’s constitution.

Conservative PAC Let’s Go Washington, the primary initiative backer, said in a statement that the ruling is an attempt to erode public trust in the initiative process.