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                            SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5467

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State of Washington              54th Legislature             1995 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Smith, McCaslin, Gaspard, Deccio, Wojahn, Snyder, Haugen, Morton, Long, Hale, Rinehart, Newhouse, Loveland, McDonald, Bauer, Oke and Winsley; by request of Supreme Court)

Read first time 2/16/95.

Reducing the size of the state supreme court.

     AN ACT Relating to the size of the state supreme court; and amending RCW 2.04.070.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 2.04.070 and 1909 c 24 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

When a vacancy on the supreme court occurs under RCW 42.12.010 or if two weeks before the period of filing for the office, an incumbent certifies in writing to the secretary of state she or he is not seeking reelection, it will not be filled until the number of judges on that court has been reduced to seven.  Thereafter, the supreme court((, from and after February 26, 1909,)) shall consist of ((nine)) seven judges.

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