H‑0608.1   _____________________________________________

HOUSE BILL 1113

           _____________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Clements, Skinner, Mulliken, D. Schmidt, Hunt, Fromhold and Armstrong

Read first time 01/17/2001.  Referred to Committee on State Government.

_1      AN ACT Relating to allowing school districts to provide voters

_2  adequate information regarding school levy elections; and amending

_3  RCW 42.17.130.

_4  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

_5      Sec. 1.  RCW 42.17.130 and 1979 ex.s. c 265 s 2 are each amended to

_6  read as follows:

_7      No elective official nor any employee of his office nor any

_8  person appointed to or employed by any public office or agency may

_9  use or authorize the use of any of the facilities of a public

10  office or agency, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of

11  assisting a campaign for election of any person to any office or

12  for the promotion of or opposition to any ballot proposition.

13  Facilities of public office or agency include, but are not limited

14  to, use of stationery, postage, machines, and equipment, use of

15  employees of the office or agency during working hours, vehicles,

16  office space, publications of the office or agency, and clientele

17  lists of persons served by the office or agency:  PROVIDED, That the

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_1  foregoing provisions of this section shall not apply to the

_2  following activities:

_3      (1) Action taken at an open public meeting by members of an

_4  elected legislative body to express a collective decision, or to

_5  actually vote upon a motion, proposal, resolution, order, or

_6  ordinance, or to support or oppose a ballot proposition so long as

_7  (a) any required notice of the meeting includes the title and

_8  number of the ballot proposition, and (b) members of the

_9  legislative body or members of the public are afforded an

10  approximately equal opportunity for the expression of an opposing

11  view;

12      (2) A statement by an elected official in support of or in

13  opposition to any ballot proposition at an open press conference

14  or in response to a specific inquiry;

15      (3) Publications of a school district providing factual

16  information related to school levy elections;

17      (4) Activities which are part of the normal and regular conduct

18  of the office or agency.

‑‑‑ END ‑‑‑

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