Court challenge to halt I-960 fails…

An effort by the environmental group Futurewise and the Service Employees International Union to head off Tim Eyman’s latest initiative has apparently failed.

King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer this morning refused to halt the measure, Eyman said by phone shortly after the ruling.

Opponents of the measure argue that it’s flatly unconstitutional and would hamstring lawmakers, making it harder to raise taxes, even at critical times. But the state’s courts have so far been reluctant to intervene in initiatives until after they actually become law via a public vote.