Activists say they're still ready to campaign for an income tax to fund college tuition in Olympia, despite a court ruling last week blocking the initiative from the ballot this Election Day.
The Opportunity for Olympia campaign has appealed the Aug. 24 decision, and leaders say they hope to get a hearing as early as Wednesday in the state's Court of Appeals.
Meanwhile, activists continue to work behind the scenes to lay groundwork for a campaign. Opportunity for Olympia campaign manager Danielle Westbrook said leaders are meeting with supporters and working to line up endorsements.
But, she said, activists will hold off on putting up yard signs and campaigning door to door until they get a final answer from appeals judges.
"We're a little bit in limbo," she said.
Opportunity for Olympia aims to pass Washington state's first citywide income tax: a 1.5 percent tax on household income above $200,000 a year in the city.
The tax would fund a year of community college – or the equivalent amount for in-state public university tuition -- for students who graduate high school or receive a GED in Olympia.
Supporters estimate the income tax will raise $2.5 million a year.
The Olympia City Council voted to reject the initiative in July, arguing it would violate Washington state's ban on city and county income taxes.
Westbrook said activists chose to fight for the program in Olympia because it has been "a friendly city for funding education for kids." She said they hope to eventually pass a similar program statewide.
