Inslee quarantine court challenge postponed

OLYMPIA — A Thurston County Superior Court hearing scheduled for 9 this morning, Friday, Sept. 25, on the constitutionality of Gov. Jay Inslee's continuous extension of a coronavirus emergency declaration has been postponed to allow the judge to hear oral arguments in person.

According to plaintiff Tim Eyman, Judge Chris Lanese will be hearing the case at a later date when attorneys can be present in person, rather than appear remotedly on a digital platform.

"This is a good outcome," Eyman wrote on his social media. "I'll let you know when the new date is."

To date, most of the lawsuits challenging Gov. Inslee's authority on the order and quarantine of healthy residents have been dismissed.

But Eyman is optimistic, as arguments in this case will come after federal U.S. District Court Judge William Stickman IV found Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's similar orders unconstitutional, writing in his ruling that the lockdowns violate constitutional rights.

Wolf has said he'll appeal the Sept. 14 ruling, which could have national implications.

The case before Judge Lanese is the first to challenge Gov. Inslee's authority since the federal case ruling.

"All we are asking for is for him (Judge Lanese) to rule the same as that Pennsylvania judge who found such proclamations unconstitutional," Eyman wrote on his social media.