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The following
bills have been introduced in the Washington State 2007 legislative
session.
1) Judicial
Public Financing Bill
At the request
of Governor Gregoire, companion bills
SB 5226 /
HB 1589 were introduced by Senator Eric Oemig and
Representative Shay Schual-Berke for public financing bill for
Supreme Court and Court of Appeals races. Representative
Schual-Berke also introduced bill
HB 1186, with a few provisions differing from HB 1589.
Discussions between House sponsors and the Governor’s office have
now led to a single substitute bill, SHB 1186, which is moving
forward. For details, go to “Available Documents” on the
Legislative website for the bill; read the House Bill Report, or
the full bill.
As of March 4th,
SB 5226 (revised and updated) awaits action in the Senate Ways &
Means Committee. SHB 1186 was approved March 3rd by the
House Appropriations Committee, and awaits action in the House Rules
Committee and by the full House.
2) Local Option
Public Financing Bill
Companion bills
SB 5278 /
HB 1551 were introduced by Senator Rosa Franklin and
Representative Joe McDermott, to restore permission to localities to
design and enact public financing of campaigns for local office, at
their option. Currently, an obscure provision of Initiative 134
(approved in 1992) prohibits use of public funds for campaigns at
the state or local level. Prior to 1992, both the City of Seattle
and King County had programs for public financing of campaigns.
On February 19th,
the Senate Government Affairs Committee amended SB 5278, limiting
the local option to cities only (excluding other local jurisdictions
such as counties, ports, and PUDs). In this restricted form, SB
5278 now awaits approval in the Senate Rules Committee, for a Senate
floor vote.
HB 1551 was
approved by the House Committee on State Government & Tribal
Affairs, with a provision that localities cannot use state or
federal funds for any programs they design – a limitation which is
not a problem. In this form, HB 1551 awaits action by the House
Rules Committee, for a vote by the full House.
3)
Legislative/Executive Public Financing Bill
Early in the
session, Senator Jim Kastama and Representative Mark Miloscia
introduced companion bills
SB5510 /
HB1360 to provide public financing for state executive
and legislative campaigns. These bills were our greatest challenge
this session, since they represent a fundamental change in campaign
financing, curbing the influence of large donors and opening the
possibility for challengers in races where there have been few in
the past. At a rally held February 7th, and at public
hearings on Clean Elections bills in both Senate and House,
supporters turned out in force and presented eloquent testimony.
However, the
bills were not voted out of Senate or House policy committees before
cutoff dates – reflecting in part legislative disagreement with our
proposals, and also reluctance to proceed by committee chairs and
supporters who realized that sufficient votes were lacking, and that
debate on the bills in the chambers would simply take time needed
for other legislative priorities.
We have not
lost. By proposing and lobbying for these comprehensive bills this
year, we set the stage for enactment in the future. We created
discussion in the legislature, in the media and among the public.
Clean Elections works in other states and is capturing public
attention and support in Washington. Membership in WPC is growing
and we have more coalition allies. We will keep working with
legislative sponsors – and there is no doubt that either through
legislative action or by citizen initiative, we will see full public
financing of state executive and legislative campaigns in the near
future in Washington state!
Resources
This
Page in Word Format
Information
About Appointments with Legislators
Suggestions
on Testifying at Hearings
Common
Places Where Bills Pass or Die
Daily
Committee Meeting Information
Directions,
Parking, And Map of the Capital
ADA
Access Information About the Capital
Resolution
supporting 2007 clean elections laws (Word Doc)
Legislator Email List
Legislature &
Committee Information
Agendas, Schedules, Calendars
Bill
Information
Senate Ways and Means Committee
House State and Tribal Affairs Committee
Senate Government Operations & Elections Committee
House Appropriations Committee
House Rules Committee
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