H‑0280.1   _____________________________________________

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4001

           _____________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Hatfield, Pennington, Eickmeyer, Benson, Wood, Doumit, Simpson, DeBolt, Bush, Cooper, Linville, Morris, Reardon, Darneille, Mielke, Lovick, Kessler, Dunshee, Kirby, Hurst, Campbell, Ogden, Grant, Keiser, O'Brien, Edwards, Haigh, Kagi, Alexander and Jackley

Read first time 01/15/2001.  Referred to Committee on Select Committee on Elections.

_1      TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

_2  STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE

_3  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF

_4  REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

_5      We, your Memorialists, the House of Representatives and Senate

_6  of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled,

_7  respectfully represent and petition as follows:

_8      WHEREAS, The Supreme Court of the United States recently held

_9  in California Democratic Party et al. v. Jones, Secretary of State

10  of California, et al. (No. 99-401), June 26, 2000, that blanket

11  primaries to nominate candidates for partisan offices violate the

12  First Amendment rights of association; and

13      WHEREAS, Washington State has had a long and fruitful tradition

14  of blanket primary voting to nominate candidates for partisan

15  offices that began with the State Legislature enacting Initiative

16  to the Legislature No. 2 in 1935; and

17      WHEREAS, Voters of the State of Washington strongly support the

18  continued use of the blanket primaries to nominate candidates for

19  partisan offices, reflecting the independent nature of voters in

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_1  Washington State and allowing more moderate nominees to be made

_2  from the major political parties;

_3      NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that

_4  Congress approve a constitutional amendment allowing states to

_5  provide for blanket primaries to nominate candidates for partisan

_6  offices.

_7      BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately

_8  transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the

_9  United States, the President of the United States Senate, the

10  Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of

11  Congress from the State of Washington.

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