H-1081.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1506
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State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Representatives Appelwick, Nelson, Valle and Anderson.
Read first time January 31, 1991. Referred to Committee on Local Government.
AN ACT Relating to providing the electorate a power of referendum on the building of a new runway or extending a runway at a heavily used commercial airport; and adding a new section to chapter 53.08 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 53.08 RCW to read as follows:
Every decision by a port commission of a port district to extend a runway, to construct a new runway, or to acquire property that may be used for runway purposes, at an airport with one hundred thousand or more commercial flights per year, is subject to a referendum upon the filing of a petition therefor with the county director of elections equal to five percent or more of the votes cast for the office of port commissioner at the most recent election for the office. The petition must be filed within the later of sixty days after the port commission makes its decision in an open public meeting or publishes notice of its decision in a newspaper of general circulation in the largest city of the county.
If sufficient signatures are filed for a referendum, no construction or acquisition of property may proceed until the referendum has been held and thereafter only if a majority of the votes are cast in favor of the improvement. The referendum shall be voted upon at the next general election. The issue shall be stated upon the ballot so that an affirmative vote is a vote for the improvement and a negative vote is a vote against it.