08/11/2026
Call to Action:
Washington State Republican Party is urging concerned voters to file a complaint with the Commission on Judicial Conduct following Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Lanese’s conduct last Friday in connection with a legal challenge to the attorney general’s false and misleading Public Investment Impact Disclosure (PIID) for I-645, the initiative to repeal the state income tax. https://www.cjc.state.wa.us/index.php?page=filing_a_complaint§ion=file_online
"Lanese dismissed Let’s Go Washington’s legal challenge WITHOUT A HEARING after hearing a separate challenge to I-645’s PIID brought by open-government activist Arthur West," says Chairman Rep. Jim Walsh. "Lanese's speech and mannerisms during the West hearing were highly unusual and even hysterical. The judge acted more like a radical activist than an impartial jurist."
Adds Chairman Walsh: "But the most problematic violation of judicial standards that Lanese committed was setting a trap for West (who is not an attorney and was representing himself in his case) that tricked West into stating he was also representing Let's Go Washington's case—which he was not. Lanese then pounced on West's error and dismissed BOTH challenges to the misleading PIID."
“We came prepared to make our case,” Let’s Go Washington founder Brian Heywood said in a statement after the ruling. “Instead, a civilian who does not represent us was invited to argue issues from our challenge, and then the court shut the door.”
Jason Rantz wrote: “Washington Democrats wrote the income tax with a necessity clause specifically to block a referendum. The state Supreme Court blessed it. The attorney general then wrote the warning label. Public sector unions, funded by your tax dollars, are bankrolling the campaign against repeal. And now a judge has decided the sponsors of a citizen initiative do not need a hearing.”
The misleading PIID reads: “This measure would decrease funding for public K-12 education, higher education (including universities and community colleges), and human services (primarily healthcare).” That claim is impossible: the Democrats’ income tax scheme will not take effect until 2028, so repealing it cannot decrease funding that does not yet exist.
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board Editorial likewise rebuked Attorney General Nick Brown’s description: “Enter Mr. Brown, who has written a misleading description of the initiative that will appear on the ballot: ‘This measure would decrease funding for public K-12 education, higher education (including universities and community colleges), and human services (primarily healthcare).’ Huh? The Democratic income tax hike won’t take effect until 2028. Pre-empting it and future increases can’t ‘decrease funding’ that doesn’t exist.”
More than 500,000 Washington voters signed petitions to qualify I-645 for the November ballot. Now all Washington voters must protect their voices by filing a complaint about Judge Chris Lanese's unethical and unprofessional behavior. Again, here’s the link: https://www.cjc.state.wa.us/index.php?page=filing_a_complaint§ion=file_online
When filing the complaint with the Commission on Judicial Conduct, refer to the case as "Let's Go Washington Challenge to I26-645 PIID." Make your voice heard!
