H-1674.1 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 1943
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 54th Legislature 1995 Regular Session
By Representatives Campbell, Smith and Pelesky
Read first time 02/15/95. Referred to Committee on Government Operations.
AN ACT Relating to voters' pamphlets; and amending RCW 29.81A.010 and 29.81A.020.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 29.81A.010 and 1984 c 106 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
At least ninety days before any primary or general election, or at least forty days before any special election held under RCW 29.13.010 or 29.13.020, the legislative authority of any county or first-class or code city may adopt an ordinance authorizing the publication and distribution of a local voters' pamphlet, and may do so without obtaining permission from the secretary of state. The pamphlet shall provide information on all measures within that jurisdiction and may, if specified in the ordinance, include information on candidates within that jurisdiction. If both a county and a first-class or code city within that county authorize a local voters' pamphlet for the same election, the pamphlet shall be produced jointly by the county and the first-class or code city. If no agreement can be reached between the county and first-class or code city, the county and first-class or code city may each produce a pamphlet. Any ordinance adopted authorizing a local voters' pamphlet may be for a specific primary, special election, or general election or for any future primaries or elections. The format of any local voters' pamphlet shall, whenever applicable, comply with the provisions of chapters 29.80 and 29.81 RCW regarding the publication of the state candidates' and voters' pamphlets.
Sec. 2. RCW 29.81A.020 and 1994 c 191 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) 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.
(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 [undue])) undue 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.
(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.
(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.
(6) The county auditor does not need authorization from the secretary of state in order to furnish a copy of the state-wide voters' pamphlet, along with the local voters' pamphlet, to county residents.
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