July 17, 2015
Kip Hill The Spokesman-Review

A ballot measure aimed at changing a Spokane Police Department policy regarding immigration status has failed to earn enough signatures to make the November ballot, Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton said Friday.

But Councilman Mike Fagan, who has spoken in favor of repealing the policy, said Friday afternoon he understood “it’s not a done deal.”

“To be real frank with you, they’re down to less than 50 signatures that are being questioned now,” Fagan said.

County officials have been verifying the signatures for the past several days after the Spokane City Council on Monday voted to move the petition along in the process. The results are not yet official, Dalton said, but she said it was clear to her Friday morning the petition failed.

“It was close,” Dalton said. “It was very close.”

If successful, it would have put on the November ballot a measure to overturn a Spokane city ordinance that prohibited police officers from contacting, detaining or arresting a person based on their immigration status alone.

Fagan called the immigration policy “a national issue” and said he wouldn’t be surprised if it came up in the 2016 campaign season.

“It’s bigger than the city of Spokane, it’s bigger than the proponents and the opponents,” he said.

A packed City Council chamber Monday night debated the issue, before all but Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart voted to send the petitions to the county for verification.

Fagan, who has been involved on multiple initiatives at the state level, acknowledged that they are a difficult undertaking. He said his heart told him the petition would likely come up short, but wouldn’t be surprised to see another push to get it on the ballot.

“The old adage is true, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,’” he said.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/201...her-enough-si/