Sierra Club loses voter guide fight

The Sierra Club on Friday lost two legal challenges to the way the King County voters pamphlet will present a regional transportation measure on the November ballot.

After two separate hearings in which King County Superior Court judges found in favor of Sound Transit, the voters guide will contain an opposition argument the environmental group says is misleading. The $47 billion transit package has two issues -- light rail (Sound Transit) and roads (Regional Transportation Investment District or RTID) -- which were linked on the ballot by legislative decree. Both must be approved by voters for the entire package to pass.

The Sierra Club, which supports light rail but not highway expansion, went to court seeking two changes to the guide: an additional or amended "con" statement to the RTID portion of the guide, and a change in authorship of the opposition statements. The environmental group claimed the guide, which heads to the printer Monday, will contain an unfair bias; the authors are known light rail critics who inadequately address global warming and other problems with the roads issue.

Sound Transit attorneys have argued that they have followed legislative guidelines in crafting the voters guide.

"We weren't happy with the outcome; we think it's unfortunate," said Mike O'Brien, chairman of the Sierra Club's state chapter.

The club, which is spearheading Citizens against RTID, will now turn its attention beyond the courtroom to the voting public, O'Brien said.

"We would be supporting the measure if it was only Sound Transit," O'Brien said. "But as it is, we can't support it. It will make global warming worse. Our job now is to move on to running a campaign."