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SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6063
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AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Passed Legislature - 1994 Regular Session
State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994
Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/27/94.
Concerning local voters' pamphlets.
AN ACT Relating to
local voters' pamphlets; and amending RCW 29.81A.020 and 29.81A.080.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 29.81A.020 and 1984
c 106 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) ((Within five
days of the adoption by the county legislative authority of an ordinance
authorizing)) Not later than ninety days before the publication and
distribution of a local voters' pamphlet by a county, the county auditor
shall notify each city, town, or special taxing district located wholly within
that county that a pamphlet will be produced. ((If the ordinance applies to
future primaries or elections, the ordinance shall provide for such a
notification prior to those primaries or elections.))
(2) If a voters'
pamphlet is published by the county for a primary or general election, the
pamphlet shall be published for the elective offices and ballot measures of the
county and for the elective offices and ballot measures of each unit of local
government located entirely within the county which will appear on the ballot
at that primary or election. However, the offices and measures of a first class
or code city shall not be included in the pamphlet if the city publishes and
distributes its own voters' pamphlet for the primary or election for its
offices and measures. The offices and measures of any other town or city are
not required to appear in the county's pamphlet if the town or city is
obligated by ordinance or charter to publish and distribute a voters' pamphlet
for the primary or election for its offices and measures and it does so.
If the required
appearance in a county's voters' pamphlet of the offices or measures of a unit
of local government would create undo financial hardship for the unit of
government, the legislative authority of the unit may petition the legislative
authority of the county to waive this requirement. The legislative authority
of the county may provide such a waiver if it does so not later than sixty days
before the publication of the pamphlet and it finds that the requirement would
create such hardship.
(3) If a city,
town, or district is located within more than one county, the respective county
auditors may enter into an interlocal agreement to permit the distribution of
each county's local voters' pamphlet into those parts of the city, town, or
district located outside of that county.
(((2))) (4)
If a first-class or code city authorizes the production and distribution of a
local voters' pamphlet, the city clerk of that city shall notify any special
taxing district located wholly within that city that a pamphlet will be
produced. Notification shall be provided in the manner required or provided
for in subsection (1) of this section.
(((3) Upon receipt
of the notification, the legislative authority of each city, town, or district
shall determine whether it will include any information from that jurisdiction
in the local voters' pamphlet for a specific primary, special election, or
general election or for any future primaries or elections. If it chooses to
participate, it shall include information on all measures from that
jurisdiction, and may include information on candidates.))
(5) A unit of local
government located within a county and the county may enter into an interlocal
agreement for the publication of a voters' pamphlet for offices or measures not
required by subsection (2) of this section to appear in a county's pamphlet.
Sec. 2. RCW 29.81A.080 and 1984
c 106 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:
For each
measure from a ((jurisdiction)) unit of local government that is
included in a local voters' pamphlet, the legislative authority of that
jurisdiction shall, not later than forty-five days before the publication of
the pamphlet, formally appoint a committee to prepare arguments advocating
voters' approval of the measure and shall formally appoint a committee to
prepare arguments advocating voters' rejection of the measure. The authority
shall appoint persons known to favor the measure to serve on the committee
advocating approval and shall, whenever possible, appoint persons known to
oppose the measure to serve on the committee advocating rejection. Each
committee shall have not more than three members, however, a committee may seek
the advice of any person or persons. If the legislative authority of a unit
of local government fails to make such appointments by the prescribed deadline,
the county auditor shall whenever possible make the appointments.
