Spokane’s public camping restriction, widely known as Prop 1, has been overturned by the state Supreme Court.
In an opinion issued Thursday morning, the court’s majority said that the voter initiative infringed upon the city’s authority and was therefore unenforceable.
The measure had prohibited camping within a thousand feet of a school, licensed daycare or park — covering most of the city. Seventy-five percent of Spokane voters approved Prop 1 in 2023.
"Our legal team is currently reviewing the Court’s opinion in detail, and we will be working together to thoughtfully chart a path forward that reflects the Court’s guidance, as well as the best interests of our community," Mayor Lisa Brown said in a statement.
Spokane’s existing camping ban, which can only be enforced while shelters are not full, remains in effect.
The reaction to the ruling has been mixed.
Julie Garcia from the nonprofit aid group Jewels Helping Hands was one of the plaintiffs.
In a statement, she said she hopes the ruling will lead to less discrimination against people who are unhoused.
The other plaintiff, Ben Stuckart from the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium, said he hopes this will lead to a more humanitarian approach to homelessness.
"Hopefully, what our policymakers now focus on is building more housing and building more treatment beds, instead of just trying to use the law and jails as our solution," he told SPR News.
City Council members Michael Cathcart and Jonathan Bingle issued a statement calling the decision "an insult to the people of Spokane and our overall democratic process."
They also called the ruling "judicial activism at the expense of public safety."
Downtown Spokane Partnership President Emilie Cameron said the ruling undermines the local initiative process and disregards the clear decision of the voters.
