S-0392.1  _______________________________________________

                   SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 8201

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State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senators Benton and Zarelli

Read first time 01/13/97.  Referred to Committee on Government Operations.

Adopting English as Washington's official language.

    WHEREAS, English is the common language of the people of the United States of America and the state of Washington, this article is intended to preserve, protect, strengthen, and perpetuate the English language, and not to supersede any of the rights guaranteed to the people by this Constitution.

    BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:

    THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to the Constitution of the state of Washington by adding a new article to read as follows:

    Article ..., section 1.  English is the official language of the state of Washington.

    Article ..., section 2.  The legislature shall enforce this article by appropriate legislation.  The legislature and officials of the state of Washington shall take all steps necessary to ensure that the English language and the role it has played as the common language of the state of Washington are preserved, protected, strengthened, and perpetuated.  The legislature shall make no law which diminishes or ignores the English language or the role it has played as the common language of the state of Washington.

    Article ..., section 3.  Any person who is a resident of or doing business in the state of Washington shall have standing to sue the state of Washington to enforce this article, and the courts of record of the state of Washington shall have jurisdiction to hear cases brought to enforce this article.  The legislature may provide reasonable and appropriate limitations on the time and manner of suits brought under this article.

    Article ..., section 4.  If any provision of this article or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the article or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.

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