H-1122

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:

THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state there shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to the Constitution of the state of Washington by amending Article II, sections 2 and 12; by adding a new section to Article II; and by repealing Article XXII, sections 1 and 2, to read as follows:

Article II, section 2. The house of representatives shall be composed of ((~~not less than sixty‑three nor more than ninety‑nine~~)) fifty members. ((The number of senators shall not be more than one‑half nor less than one‑third of the number of members of the house of representatives. The first legislature shall be composed of seventy members of the house of representatives, and thirty‑five senators.)) The senate shall be composed of twenty‑five members.

Article II, section 12. (1) Regular Sessions. ((~~A regular session of~~)) The legislature shall ((~~be convened~~)) convene each year((.)) in regular session((~~s shall convene~~)) on such days and at such times as the legislature shall determine by statute. ((During each odd‑numbered year, the regular session shall not be more than one hundred five consecutive days. During each even‑numbered year, the regular session shall not be more than sixty consecutive days.)) Each regular session shall adjourn sine die on a day and at a time determined by concurrent resolution of the legislature.

(2) Special Legislative Sessions. Special legislative sessions may be convened for a period of not more than thirty consecutive days by proclamation of the governor pursuant to Article III, section 7 of this Constitution. Special legislative sessions may also be convened for a period of not more than thirty consecutive days by resolution of the legislature upon the affirmative vote in each house of two‑thirds of the members elected or appointed thereto, which vote may be taken and resolution executed either while the legislature is in session or during any interim between sessions in accordance with such procedures as the legislature may provide by law or resolution. The resolution convening the legislature shall specify a purpose or purposes for the convening of a special session, and any special session convened by the resolution shall consider only measures germane to the purpose or purposes expressed in the resolution, unless by resolution adopted during the session upon the affirmative vote in each house of two‑thirds of the members elected or appointed thereto, an additional purpose or purposes are expressed. The specification of purpose by the governor pursuant to Article III, section 7 of this Constitution shall be considered by the legislature but shall not be mandatory.

(3) Committees of the Legislature. Standing and special committees of the legislature shall meet and conduct official business pursuant to such rules as the legislature may adopt.

Article II, section ... . At the general election to be held in November 1992, persons elected to the senate in even numbered districts shall be elected to terms of two years. Thereafter, the term of office of each person elected to the senate from an even numbered district shall be four years. Persons elected to the senate in odd numbered districts at the November 1992 general election shall be elected to terms of four years.

Article II, section 43. REDISTRICTING. (1) In January of each year ending in one, a commission shall be established to provide for the redistricting of state legislative and congressional districts.

(2) The commission shall be composed of five members to be selected as follows: The legislative leader of the two largest political parties in each house of the legislature shall appoint one voting member to the commission by January 15th of each year ending in one. By January 31st of each year ending in one, the four appointed members, by an affirmative vote of at least three, shall appoint the remaining member. The fifth member of the commission, who shall be nonvoting, shall act as its chairperson. If any appointing authority fails to make the required appointment by the date established by this subsection, within five days after that date the supreme court shall make the required appointment.

(3) No elected official and no person elected to legislative district, county, or state political party office may serve on the commission. A commission member shall not have been an elected official and shall not have been an elected legislative district, county, or state political party officer within two years of his or her appointment to the commission. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to the office of precinct committee person.

(4) The legislature shall enact laws providing for the implementation of this section, to include additional qualifications for commissioners and additional standards to govern the commission. The legislature shall appropriate funds to enable the commission to carry out its duties.

(5) Each district shall contain a population, excluding nonresident military personnel, as nearly equal as practicable to the population of any other district. To the extent reasonable, each district shall contain contiguous territory, shall be compact and convenient, and shall be separated from adjoining districts by natural geographic barriers, artificial barriers, or political subdivision boundaries. The commission's plan shall not provide for a number of legislative districts different than that established by the legislature. The commission's plan shall not be drawn purposely to favor or discriminate against any political party or group.

(6) The commission shall complete redistricting as soon as possible following the federal decennial census, but no later than January 1st of each year ending in two. At least three of the voting members shall approve such a redistricting plan. If three of the voting members of the commission fail to approve a plan within the time limitations provided in this subsection, the supreme court shall adopt a plan by April 30th of the year ending in two in conformance with the standards set forth in subsection (5) of this section.

(7) The legislature may amend the redistricting plan but must do so by a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected or appointed to each house of the legislature. Any amendment must have passed both houses by the end of the thirtieth day of the first session convened after the commission has submitted its plan to the legislature. After that day, the plan, with any legislative amendments, constitutes the state districting law.

(8) The legislature shall enact laws providing for the reconvening of a commission for the purpose of modifying a districting law adopted under this section. Such reconvening requires a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected or appointed to each house of the legislature. The commission shall conform to the standards prescribed under subsection (5) of this section and any other standards or procedures that the legislature may provide by law. At least three of the voting members shall approve such a modification. Any modification adopted by the commission may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected and appointed to each house of the legislature. The state districting law shall include the modifications with amendments, if any.

(9) The legislature shall prescribe by law the terms of commission members and the method of filling vacancies on the commission.

(10) The supreme court has original jurisdiction to hear and decide all cases involving congressional and legislative redistricting.

(11) Legislative and congressional districts may not be changed or established except pursuant to this section. A districting plan and any legislative amendments to the plan are not subject to Article III, section 12 of this Constitution.

(12) The commission shall be established in 1996 to provide for the redistricting of state legislative districts to satisfy the requirements of the amendments to Article II, section 2 of this Constitution ratified by the voters at the November 1991 general election. Subsections (2) through (11) of this section apply to that commission and its redistricting plan, or its failure to approve such a plan, in the same manner as they apply to a commission established in a year ending in one and its plan or its failure to approve such a plan.

Article XXII, sections 1 and 2 of the state Constitution are each repealed.

The amendments to Article II, sections 2 and 12 of the state Constitution shall take effect on January 1, 1997.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the foregoing amendment shall be construed as a single amendment within the meaning of Article XXIII, section 1 of the state Constitution.

The legislature finds that the changes contained in the foregoing amendment constitute a single integrated plan for reorganizing the legislature. If the foregoing amendment is held to be separate amendments, this joint resolution shall be void in its entirety and shall be of no further force and effect.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of the foregoing constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.