Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed an amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief supporting Seattle’s $15-an-hour minimum wage ordinance in the case of International Franchise Association v. City of Seattle.

The Franchise Association sued in federal court to block application of the ordinance to certain franchise businesses located within Seattle, arguing that the ordinance violates the state and federal constitutions. U.S. District Judge Richard Jones denied the Association’s request for a preliminary injunction. The Association then appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Attorney General’s Office today filed a brief with the Ninth Circuit defending Seattle’s ordinance.

“The state and local governments have broad powers to adopt laws that protect hardworking Washingtonians,” Attorney General Ferguson said. “The plaintiffs’ attack on the city of Seattle’s ordinance is an attack on those powers and on minimum wage laws in general. We must defend Washington’s ability to support workers, and my office’s brief stands up for that principle.”