BILL REQ. #:  Z-0370.1 

Read first time 01/27/2003.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, It has become obvious that the manner and method by which presidential nominees are selected in the fifty sovereign states of this federal union could benefit from a new method; and
     WHEREAS, A regional presidential primary system would end the current practice of states trying to "front load" the presidential primary calendar; and
     WHEREAS, Such a plan would allow the selection of national convention delegates to be grouped by region beginning in 2004 with the West in March followed by the Midwest in April, the South in May, and the East in June; and
     WHEREAS, A regional primary could be rotated among the regions with the Midwest moving to first, followed by the South, East, and West in the 2008 election; and
     WHEREAS, Provisions could be established to assure that two states with smaller populations could always have a chance to conduct a presidential primary before the regional primaries occurred; and
     WHEREAS, Possible regional groupings to start the rotating regional primary system in the 2004 presidential election could be as follows:
     West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Guam.
     Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
     South: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
     East: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia; and
     WHEREAS, Recognizing the historically important role that smaller states have played in the presidential election process, the states of New Hampshire and Iowa would be allowed to conduct their primary election or caucus before the start of the rotation schedule;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Congress, without delay, provide for a rotating regional presidential primary system in 2004.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.