S-3577.1  _______________________________________________

                 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 8418

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature 1995 2nd Special Session

By Senators Gaspard, Snyder and Sutherland

Read first time 05/24/95. 

Authorizing television coverage of the legislature.

    WHEREAS, The citizens of Washington have an inherent right to watch their government at work; and

    WHEREAS, The state of Washington has a long and proud tradition of open government; and

    WHEREAS, The 1994 session of the Washington state legislature extended this tradition by authorizing and supporting unedited television coverage of state government deliberations modeled after the successful national cable channel, C-SPAN; and

    WHEREAS, Section 116 of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 6244, the 1994 supplemental budget, provided that commencement of operation of equipment for unedited television coverage within legislative facilities would be subject to ratification by both houses of the legislature by concurrent resolution;

    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That operation of equipment to provide unedited television coverage of events within legislative facilities is hereby authorized until June 30, 1998, unless operation is reauthorized by both houses of the legislature by concurrent resolution approved before June 30, 1998, which extends authorization until a later date certain or for an indefinite period; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this authorization shall be effective in the Washington state House of Representatives upon execution of a memorandum of understanding between TVW, the provider of unedited television coverage, and the chief clerk of the House of Representatives, and shall be effective in the Washington state Senate upon execution of a memorandum of understanding between TVW and the secretary of the Senate; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the chief clerk of the House of Representatives or the secretary of the Senate may request summary material relating to programming from TVW to assist in the efforts of any compliance committee or committees as may be established; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That any member of the board of directors of TVW who is required to file any document with a state or federal agency which regulates campaign practices or campaign finances on which the person is named in any capacity other than as a contributor, shall also be required to file such documents with the chief clerk of the House of Representatives and the secretary of the Senate; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That any member of the board of directors of TVW who is an officer of a political committee which has as its primary purpose supporting or opposing the election of incumbent members of the Washington state legislature and which engages in any fund-raising activity during the period thirty days before the date a regular legislative session convenes and continuing thirty days past the date of final adjournment, or during the period beginning on the date a special legislative session convenes and continuing through the date that session adjourns, shall file a description of the fund-raising activity with the chief clerk of the House of Representatives and the secretary of the Senate prior to soliciting contributions or engaging in any other fund-raising activity and a report of all contributions received during such a period.

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