BILL REQ. #: S-0003.1

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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 8200
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State of Washington

62nd Legislature

2011 Regular Session

By Senators Shin, Chase, Hargrove, Harper, Prentice, Rockefeller, Holmquist Newbry, Fraser, and Sheldon

Read first time 01/14/11. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND 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 Article IV, section 3(a) of the Constitution of the state of Washington to read as follows:

ARTICLE 4, SECTION 3A

SECTION 3(a) RETIREMENT OF SUPREME COURT AND SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES. A judge of the supreme court or the superior court shall retire from judicial office either (1) at the end of the calendar year in which he or she attains the age of seventy-five years; or (2) at the expiration of his or her term of office after attaining the mandatory retirement age. The legislature may, from time to time, fix a lesser age for mandatory retirement, not earlier than the end of the calendar year in which any such judge attains the age of seventy years, as the legislature deems proper. This provision shall not affect the term to which any such judge shall have been elected or appointed prior to, or at the time of, approval and ratification of this provision. Notwithstanding the limitations of this section, the legislature may by general law authorize or require the retirement of judges for physical or mental disability, or any cause rendering judges incapable of performing their judicial duties.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this amendment is a single amendment within the meaning of Article XXIII, section 1 of the state Constitution.
The legislature finds that the changes contained in this amendment constitute a single integrated plan permitting judges to complete their term of office prior to retirement. If this amendment is held to be separate amendments, it is void in its entirety and is of no further force and effect.

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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