S-0279.1/91       _______________________________________________

                           SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 8207

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By Senators McCaslin and Williams.

Read first time January 24, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Governmental Operations.Amending the Constitution to specify which officials, departments, and agencies must be located at the seat of government.

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 Article XIV, section 1, of the Constitution of the state of Washington to read as follows:

     Article XIV, section 1.  The legislature shall have no power to change, or to locate the seat of government of this state((; but the question of the permanent location of the seat of government of the state shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the Territory, at the election to be held for the adoption of this Constitution.  A majority of all the votes cast at said election, upon said question, shall be necessary to determine the permanent location of the seat of government for the state; and no place shall ever be the seat of government which shall not receive a majority of the votes cast on that matter.  In case there shall be no choice of location at said first election the legislature shall, at its first regular session after the adoption of this Constitution, provide for submitting to the qualified electors of the state, at the next succeeding general election thereafter, the question of choice of location between the three places for which the highest number of votes shall have been cast at the said first election.  Said legislature shall provide further that in case there shall be no choice of location at said second election, the question of choice between the two places for which the highest number of votes shall have been cast, shall be submitted in like manner to the qualified electors of the state at the next ensuing general election:  PROVIDED, That until the seat of government shall have been permanently located as herein provided, the temporary location thereof shall remain at the city of Olympia)).

The seat of government shall remain within the limits of the city of Olympia. The legislature, the supreme court, and the offices and core administrative functions of state‑wide elected officials shall remain located at the seat of government.

The department or agency head and core administrative functions of each executive department or agency not administered by a state‑wide elected official may be located anywhere within the boundaries of the county in which the seat of government is located.

Branch offices for executive departments and agencies may be located anywhere within the state when authorized by the legislature, but the core administrative functions necessary for each department or agency head to operate may not be performed in branch offices.

     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.