Initiative targeting marijuana businesses near Spokane churches fails to receive enough signatures

A measure that would add Spokane churches to the list of places requiring a 1,000-foot buffer from marijuana businesses failed to garner enough signatures to automatically make the November ballot.

The proposal, spearheaded by former state Rep. John Ahern, received 2,058 valid petition signatures in a tally recorded by the Spokane County Auditor’s Office, said Mike McLaughlin, the county’s elections manager. It needed 2,586 to automatically qualify for an appearance on the November ballot, a deficit of 528 signatures.

Michael McGuire, a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes cathedral in downtown Spokane who was involved in the petition campaign, said the group still hoped to appeal to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who despite pre-appointment statements dismissive of state experiments in marijuana sales has taken no steps to curtail them.

“We believe most people in Spokane don’t want marijuana businesses near churches,” McGuire said.

The elections office will return the numbers to the City Council, who could put the measure on the ballot by resolution without the number of signatures. That seems unlikely, as an attempt by City Councilman Mike Fagan to do that before signature verification failed when none of his colleagues would second the motion.