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MAJOR COURT VICTORY FOR CITIZENS' RIGHTS IN SHASTA COUNTY


Court dismisses lawsuit seeking to block citizen-led initiative

The Lex Rex Institute (LRI) has secured a decisive victory in Shasta County Superior Court, defending the fundamental right of citizens to place initiatives before the voters.

In a ruling issued March 26, 2026, the court sustained Intervenors’ demurrer without leave to amend and dismissed the case outright, rejecting an attempt to block the “Shasta County Voter ID, Hand-Counted Ballots, and Absentee Voting Limits Initiative” from reaching the ballot.

 

Citizens exercised their constitutional rights

Five Shasta citizens — Laura Hobbs, Deidre Holliday, Kari Chilson, Jim Burnett, and Richard Gallardo — exercised their constitutional right of initiative.

They drafted a comprehensive election integrity initiative, gathered more than 10,000 signatures, and successfully qualified the measure for the June 2, 2026 ballot. Instead of allowing voters to decide, a lawsuit filed anonymously by petitioner Jennifer Katske, “Jane Doe,” sought to have the initiative removed from the ballot. Shasta County officials declined to defend the voters’ interests, taking “no position” in the litigation.

So once again, the Lex Rex Institute stepped in.

 

The Court’s Ruling

After full briefing and a lengthy hearing on March 25, 2026, the court rejected “Jane Doe’s” challenge in its entirety. Her case was dismissed.

The court held that:

  • The petition failed to state any valid legal claim, because it did not identify a specific legal duty violated by the County.

  • The petitioner’s legal theory was fatally deficient on its face, warranting dismissal at the pleading stage.

  • The defects could not be cured, and the court denied leave to amend due to both legal insufficiency and time constraints.

“Today’s ruling is a complete vindication of the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral process,” said LRI president Alexander Haberbush. “This case was an attempt to short-circuit the constitutional right of initiative, and it rightly failed. The voters of Shasta County will now have the opportunity to decide this measure for themselves. We’re proud to have defended that principle, and we’re ready to defend the will of the voters going forward.”

 

A critical holding: Courts will not block initiatives before voters decide

The court went further, making clear that this type of lawsuit should not be used to stop initiatives before an election.

Quoting controlling California Supreme Court authority, the court emphasized that:

  • Pre-election challenges are extraordinary and disfavored

  • Courts should not interfere with the electoral process absent a clear showing of invalidity

  • Substantive attacks on an initiative’s legality are generally reserved for after the voters have spoken

 

What this means for Shasta County — and California

This ruling is a major victory not just for Shasta County, but for voters across California.

It confirms a basic principle: The people — not courts, not bureaucrats, and not anonymous plaintiffs — decide whether initiatives should become law.

 

Support the effort

“These victories do not happen by accident,” said Mr. Haberbush. “They require rapid response, significant resources, and a willingness to stand in the gap when government officials refuse. LRI is privileged to represent citizen activists in worthy endeavors and we are very grateful to those donors who allow our work to continue. This battle has been won, but the war is not over.”

If you believe that citizens — not Sacramento — should control the future of their elections, consider supporting this effort.

The right of the people to govern themselves depends on it.


 

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