S-1491.1          _______________________________________________

 

                            SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5338

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

 

By Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Erwin, Vognild, Snyder, Owen, Nelson, Niemi and Roach; by request of Administrator for the Courts).

 

Read first time February 18, 1991.Adding superior court judge positions.


     AN ACT Relating to superior courts; amending RCW 2.08.061, 2.08.062, 2.08.063, 2.08.064, and 2.08.065; creating a new section; providing effective dates; and declaring an emergency.

 

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

 

     Sec. 1.  RCW 2.08.061 and 1989 c 328 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

     There shall be in the county of King no more than ((forty-six)) fifty-eight judges of the superior court; in the county of Spokane ten judges of the superior court; and in the county of Pierce nineteen judges of the superior court.  The King county legislative authority may phase in the additional twelve judges, as authorized by the 1991 amendments to this section, over a period of time not to extend beyond July 1, 1995.

 

     Sec. 2.  RCW 2.08.062 and 1990 c 186 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     There shall be in the counties of Chelan and Douglas jointly, three judges of the superior court; in the county of Clark six judges of the superior court; in the county of Grays Harbor ((two)) three judges of the superior court; in the county of Kitsap seven judges of the superior court; in the county of Kittitas one judge of the superior court; in the county of Lewis two judges of the superior court.

 

     Sec. 3.  RCW 2.08.063 and 1988 c 66 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     There shall be in the county of Lincoln one judge of the superior court; in the county of Skagit, ((two)) three judges of the superior court; in the county of Walla Walla, two judges of the superior court; in the county of Whitman, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Yakima six judges of the superior court; in the county of Adams, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Whatcom, three judges of the superior court.

 

     Sec. 4.  RCW 2.08.064 and 1989 c 328 s  3 are each amended to read as follows:

     There shall be in the counties of Benton and Franklin jointly, five judges of the superior court; in the county of Clallam, two judges of the superior court; in the county of Jefferson, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Snohomish, ((eleven)) thirteen judges of the superior court; in the counties of Asotin, Columbia and Garfield jointly, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Cowlitz, three judges of the superior court; in the counties of Klickitat and Skamania jointly, one judge of the superior court.

 

     Sec. 5.  RCW 2.08.065 and 1990 c 186 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

     There shall be in the county of Grant, two judges of the superior court; in the county of Okanogan, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Mason, ((one)) two judges of the superior court; in the county of Thurston, six judges of the superior court; in the counties of Pacific and Wahkiakum jointly, one judge of the superior court; in the counties of Ferry, Pend Oreille, and Stevens jointly, two judges of the superior court; and in the counties of San Juan and Island jointly, two judges of the superior court.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.      Section 2 of this act shall take effect January 1, 1992.  Section 4 of this act shall take effect July 1, 1992.  Sections 1 and 5 of this act are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1991.

 

     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7.      The additional judicial positions created by sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of this act shall be effective only if each county through its duly constituted legislative authority documents its approval of any additional positions and its agreement that it will pay out of county funds, without reimbursement from the state, the expenses of such additional judicial positions as provided by statute.