H-3430.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2658

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By Representatives Morton, Morris, Van Luven, Riley, Nealey, Padden, Fuhrman, Sheldon and P. Johnson

Read first time 01/23/92.  Referred to Committee on State Government.Deleting the requirement that chairs and vice-chairs of political party state committees and county central committees be of opposite sexes.

     AN ACT Relating to political party state committees and county central committees; and amending RCW 29.42.020 and 29.42.030.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     Sec. 1.  RCW 29.42.020 and 1987 c 295 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

     The state committee of each major political party shall consist of one committeeman and one committeewoman from each county elected by the county committee at its organization meeting.  It shall have a chair and vice-chair ((who must be of opposite sexes)).  This committee shall meet during January of each odd-numbered year for the purpose of organization at a time and place designated by a sufficient notice to all the newly elected state committeemen and committeewomen by the authorized officers of the retiring committee.  For the purpose of this section a notice mailed at least one week prior to the date of the meeting shall constitute sufficient notice.  At its organizational meeting it shall elect its chair and vice-chair, and such officers as its bylaws may provide, and adopt bylaws, rules and regulations.  It shall have power to:

     (1) Call conventions at such time and place and under such circumstances and for such purposes as the call to convention shall designate.  The manner, number and procedure for selection of state convention delegates shall be subject to the committee's rules and regulations duly adopted;

     (2) Provide for the election of delegates to national conventions;

     (3) Fill vacancies on the ticket for any federal or state office to be voted on by the electors of more than one county;

     (4) Provide for the nomination of presidential electors; and

     (5) Perform all functions inherent in such an organization.

     Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, the committee shall not set rules which shall govern the conduct of the actual proceedings at a party state convention.

     Sec. 2.  RCW 29.42.030 and 1987 c 295 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

     The county central committee of each major political party shall consist of the precinct committee officers of the party from the several voting precincts of the county.  Following each state general election held in even-numbered years, this committee shall meet for the purpose of organization at an easily accessible location within the county, subsequent to the certification of precinct committee officers by the county auditor and no later than the second Saturday of the following January.  The authorized officers of the retiring committee shall cause notice of the time and place of such meeting to be mailed to each precinct committee officer at least seventy-two hours prior to the date of the meeting.

     At its organization meeting, the county central committee shall elect a chair and vice-chair ((who must be of opposite sexes)); it shall also elect a state committeeman and a state committeewoman.