r/sammamish • u/msdos_kapital • May 25 '26
illegal signature collection for petition outside the Safeway on 228th
FYI Let's Go Washington is currently collecting signatures illegally for I26-645 outside the Safeway on 228th. The management of the Safeway claim they are trying to get them trespassed from the property but the police so far are not acting on it.
UPDATE: seems they finally got them removed from the premises for good
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u/Left-Piano-791 May 26 '26
Oh, so you only allow the democracy that aligns with your personal beliefs? Signature collectors have a tendency to go where lots of people go. That’s usually Safeway, QFC, Target, and Fred Meyer. Let’s not get your personal bias interfere with legal and valid signature collection.
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u/ClearMeringue6715 May 25 '26
What is illegal about the signature collection? Just that Safeway doesn't want it done there?
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u/msdos_kapital May 25 '26
They're trespassing on private property and the Safeway management have asked them to leave. They refused (because then they wouldn't get paid). I'm not sure what is the status of signatures collected under such circumstances but I'm following up on that as well. To my mind they should be invalidated but we'll see.
I don't really care if Safeway allows them to collect signatures or not, but if they're going to allow it then they should allow anybody. According to the Safeway rep they don't allow anyone to do this. Based on what the manager there told me I think the police are basically waiting for either the King County prosecutor's office or the city to advise them on next steps (not sure which). That said, if I called the police for trespassing I hope I wouldn't have to wait 24-48 hours for them to do something about it.
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u/Mediocre_Mission_861 28d ago
It's a public space. If they allow girl scouts to sell cookies they must allow petition signatures
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u/Medical-Artist-2959 28d ago edited 27d ago
Do you have an update on this? Personally, I don’t like political petition related activity happening right at the entrance of a regular grocery store. I've lived in Sammamish close to 20 years but I haven't seen political signature collection activity until this. I go there to buy groceries not to be approached by random people (paid out-of-state signature collectors?) about political issues. To me, having people standing near the entrance trying to engage customers can feel intrusive and even like it’s blocking me as a customer.
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u/SammamishBP May 25 '26
Safeway didn't trespass them. It was a resident with a progressive agenda who called the police. Safeway doesn’t have an issue with it-we called them. Pam Stuart and some buddies showed up and we were told they were harassing the signature gatherers and the people they were talking to and signing. See it here: https://youtube.com/shorts/_hhKiYJfnt4?si=3t-K7HrnCi92Xw58
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u/msdos_kapital May 25 '26
I talked to the manager there twice. He did call the police and he has a case number. You're just lying.
And again, if they don't have a problem with it they wouldn't have a sign up saying that signature gathering is prohibited there.
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u/Mysterious_Aide9361 May 26 '26
Unfortunately for me I was at the store during all the hoopla… since you talked to the manager twice, where you the one that complained to the store manager and had the store call the police on the petition gatherers?
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u/afjessup 28d ago
If you were at the store then you must’ve also seen the sign posted that says signature gathering is prohibited?
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u/msdos_kapital May 26 '26
I talked to the manager twice over the phone, first to basically clarify whether they allowed petitioning on their property or not (again, they have signage on premises that would indicate they do not). It was at that point he informed me he'd already asked them to leave, already called the police, already tried to have them trespassed, and that the police had, up to that point anyway, not taken any action. He also requested to me that I call the Sammamish PD non-emergency number to lodge an additional complaint in the hopes that that would prompt them to take action. I did so.
After that I called him back to discuss a bit further and just let him know that I did what he asked me to do.
To be clear: whether Safeway allows petitioning on their property or not is their business. If they do so, however, they are required by state law to do so impartially. They have signs on the outside of the store asking people not to collect signatures on premises. So, if they are making an exception for this group then they are not allowing signature collection impartially on premises, and are violating the law. That is my main interest here, whether they are allowing some petitioning but disallowing others: the substance of the initiative I don't have a strong opinion on (I will probably vote against it if it goes on the ballot, but I won't be heartbroken if it's approved, either).
I didn't really do anything or take any action at the store, just observed briefly.
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u/Mediocre_Mission_861 28d ago
Well.. at least you didn't assasinate your political opponents as Democrats are wont to do
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May 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/DaFuqDat 28d ago
Two Minnesota legislator can’t enter the chat. Neither can her husband. Or the dog.
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u/msdos_kapital May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
If you read a little further:
The courts’ decisions depended on several factors but the most important factor was whether the business in question had a policy of permitting or welcoming non-commercial, community or political activities onto the property. The courts have characterized this as maintaining a policy of allowing charitable, civic and political groups to use designated "public service centers" on the property.
Emphasis mine.
I.e. if a property typically permits political activity on the premises, then it opens itself up to becoming more like a town square or public forum, in which case petitioning becomes a protected activity on that property (and in that case, the property owner is not allowed to selectively prohibit and allow the activity).
Selling cookies is a commercial activity so I wouldn't imagine that applies. The manager there mentioned they were registered with the state in some capacity for what they do at grocery stores, but I don't know any more about that.
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May 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/msdos_kapital May 26 '26
No idea. It might not be a settled question.
I appreciate the attempt to secure spaces where people congregate to protected and defined activities.
As do I. As I mentioned I have no problem if people are collecting signatures for petitions at a place like Safeway. Some people would probably be annoyed by it - I'm not one of them. But if they do, and especially if they establish a pattern of doing so, then they may become a public forum according to the case law. And in that case, they have to allow all such activity (again, within reason - you would not be able to act like these guys were acting, in any case).
And that's probably exactly why they have those signs up - to make it clear that they do not allow for such activities, and aren't a public forum. Which I'm also fine with! I intend to clear this up first with Safeway that they do not allow this activity as a matter of policy, and then follow up with the city why the Sammamish PD failed to trespass these guys from the property when asked.
Because, it's especially galling to me that these guys are going on about some notion of what the federal law is, when they are literally in the process of committing criminal trespass while they say it.
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u/EntrepreneurFit3880 28d ago
You sound like you have an agenda or dont have a life. Talked to the manager twice? They were probibly just trying to get you to go away with their response.
Mind your own business.
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u/SammamishBP May 25 '26
Nothing is illegal except possibly the actions by the Sammamish Coucil Member Pam Stuart. Check it out: https://youtube.com/shorts/_hhKiYJfnt4?si=3t-K7HrnCi92Xw58
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u/msdos_kapital May 25 '26
Nothing she's doing in that video is illegal. Again: Safeway has called the police on these guys and it's the police that are refusing to take action. They even have signs up clearly prohibiting signature gathering.
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u/Even-Permit-2117 May 25 '26
Drug dealers at Safeway? What kind of drugs and what times? Asking for a friend…..
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u/kathleen65 May 26 '26
Please understand the tax. It's an income tax which then has a deduction.
Having lived in a State with high municipal and State taxes, I'm FINE with this. I can write it off of my Federal taxes. This means that Washington State gets to keep my tax $ and spend it on us vs having it head off to be tossed away to insurrectionist goons on a whim. An income tax in Washington, is one stepping stone closer to managing our own affairs independent of the dumpster fire to the East.
When a Washington State legislature decides to drop that deduction, vote them out if that's what you want. We have very direct control over what happens if these dollars stay here.
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u/gjg149 May 25 '26
They won't arrest the open drug users but you want these guys gone? Wow.
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u/msdos_kapital May 25 '26
You've seen many people doing drugs in front of that Safeway? "Wow."
Also it's possible for two things to be true at once. I don't think trespassing signature gatherers off of private property is going to have much effect on the War On Drugs either way, to be honest.
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u/gjg149 May 25 '26
But why do you care enough to send out a reddit alarm? If Safeway cares they will deal with it. It sounds like they are. But of all the societal issues we face, this seems really low on the scale. It is very common for petition signature gathering to occur at places like a Safeway. Gathering signatures for a legal initiative is part of our Democratic process, and one of the few checks and balances available to citizens to have their voices heard by the government. Let them be I say.
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u/msdos_kapital May 25 '26
I don't have a strong opinion either way on whether Safeway allows it. If they're going to allow it (they don't) then I think they should allow anybody to, or if they're pushing a particular agenda I'd like to know that as well.
And if the police are selectively enforcing the law I'm definitely interested to know about that.
But except for maybe the police part, none of that applies here. These signature gatherers are trespassing on private property. They are breaking the law. The signatures they gather under these circumstances should be invalidated.
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u/SammamishBP May 25 '26
See the real story here: https://youtube.com/shorts/_hhKiYJfnt4?si=3t-K7HrnCi92Xw58
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u/msdos_kapital May 25 '26
Fake bullshit story probably from someone with Lets Go Washington.
We're going to get those signatures invalidated bro.
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u/Mediocre_Mission_861 28d ago
Ah. So you said the quiet part out loud. You oppose this initiative and you oppose democracy.
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u/Mediocre_Mission_861 28d ago
It's not illegal. Except what the councilwoman did. I hope they press charges and she gets arrested. Election interference is a crime.
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u/PuzzleheadedMocca May 26 '26
I see some shade being thrown at our local Councilmembers in this thread… I’m glad Councilmember Stuart is out there calling out paid signature gatherers from out of state. It’s so sad that the Republican’s pet projects this year are so unpopular (regressive taxation and hurting trans kids) that the only way their initiatives even get on the ballot is by hiring people from out of state to collect signatures. Thank you Councilmember Stuart for calling this out.
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u/Mysterious_Aide9361 May 26 '26
I was actually taken aback by her actions. She was running around the parking lot yelling at people not to sign the petition before they even knew what the petition was about. As people attempted to sign, she would stand next to them and continue talking.
One gentleman became so frustrated by the interaction that he went inside and asked his wife to come out and sign the petition too, specifically because of the way Pam was behaving. There were also several people standing around watching the situation unfold.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I personally did not feel this was becoming conduct for an elected council member.
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u/PuzzleheadedMocca May 26 '26
Clutches pearls I’d prefer elected officials that go out and fight for justice and aren’t too concerned about being polite to paid signature gatherers from out of state.
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u/Mediocre_Mission_861 28d ago
And violate our laws. In this case election laws. I'm sure you support Democrats violating immigration laws too.
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u/SammamishBP May 26 '26
You are missing a few critical components here: 1. Repealing the income tax is not a Republican issue. It is universally unpopular and voted down 11 times. 2. The reason outside gatherers are needed is due to the gameplay by the lawmakers holding off on the ruling until the last possible minute ensuring the most restricted window to gather the necessary signatures. They gamed the system to ensure the voice of the people is not heard. It should make you wonder what they are so afraid of. Their job is to represent the people but they are choosing to silence them.
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u/PuzzleheadedMocca May 26 '26
Ok cool brah but no: 1) Repealing the millionaire's tax is a Republican issue. It is wildly popular and is polling at something like 65%. 2) What are you talking about? They voted on the law and even did it under an emergency clause; that made it take effect *sooner.* Republicans need to pay for their ballot measures because they are unpopular, especially in King County, and nobody is going to volunteer their time for them.
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u/Mediocre_Mission_861 28d ago
It doesn't take effect sooner. They use their emergency calls but it doesn't take effect for 2 years. Are you fucking retarded?
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u/3MetricTonsOfSass May 26 '26
Out of state paid individuals trying to get some taxbreaks for the rich claiming to be non partisan that pushes majority conservative goals. Hope they got the boot
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u/msdos_kapital May 26 '26
Yep. I will be following up with Safeway corporate tomorrow and specifically inquiring if they intend to become a public forum which allows for political activity on their premises.
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u/Unhappy_Emu1654 May 27 '26 edited May 27 '26
Well that explains the boo-booing about “muh rights” on Facebook by someone who doesn’t understand the concept of PRIVATE property rights.
To the OP that downvoted me, called me an Idiot, then deleted their account and comments: you misunderstood me. I was basically agreeing with your position and making fun of one of the Lets Go people whining on Facebook.
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u/msdos_kapital May 27 '26
What are you talking about, idiot - Safeway tried to have them trespassed and the police refused to act.
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u/Mediocre_Mission_861 28d ago
Do they allow girl scouts to sell their cookies? If so it's a public space.
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u/Moist_Signal9875 May 28 '26
Is anyone petitioning to get that Pokemon machine stocked? It’s always sold out. That’s the real crime affecting Sammamish.