5528AMSBENTS2590.1SB 5528S AMD TO S AMD (S-2577.2/03)282By Senator Benton On page 1, after line 2 of the amendment, insert the following:NEW SECTION.Sec. The framers of Washington state'sConstitution intended to preserve balance between the three branches ofstate government by establishing a system of checks and balances, muchas the founders of the United States had with the federal government.That the judicial, executive, and legislative branches operateindependently, but within a system that ensures the people are notoppressed by any one individual branch of government, is fundamental toour republic. One important aspect of this system is senateconfirmation of the executive branches appointments. The legislaturefinds that Article XIII, section 1 of the Washington state Constitutionrequires that the governor's appointments to boards, commissions, andpublic institutions be made with the advice and consent of the senate.The legislature further finds that senate confirmation of executiveappointments has been applied inconsistently within the laws adopted bythe legislature and often has not used the language of the Washingtonstate Constitution regarding senate confirmation of appointments. Thelegislature intends to make consistent with constitutional languagethose appointments whose terms exceed four years. As a means ofemphasizing the importance of senate confirmation in the checks andbalances system, the legislature further intends to prohibit executiveappointments from serving more than two years without senateconfirmation. Renumber the remaining sections consecutively and correct anyinternal references accordingly. 1 SB 5528S AMD TO S AMD (S-2577.2/03)282By Senator Benton On page 55, line 3 of the title amendment, after RCW 28B.80.390;insert creating a new section;--- END --- 2