S-709                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3436

                        _______________________________________________

                                                                            C 252 L 85

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Talmadge, Pullen and Rasmussen

Read first time 1/30/85 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to elections; and amending RCW 29.27.060.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 29.27.060, chapter 9, Laws of 1965 as last amended by section 3, chapter 4, Laws of 1977 and RCW 29.27.060 are each amended to read as follows:

          When a proposed constitution or constitutional amendment or other question is to be submitted to the people of the state for state-wide popular vote, the attorney general shall prepare a concise statement posed as a question and not exceeding twenty words containing the essential features thereof expressed in such a manner as to clearly identify the proposition to be voted upon.

          Questions to be submitted to the people of a county or municipality shall also be advertised as provided for nominees for office, and in such cases there shall also be printed on the ballot a concise statement posed as a question and not exceeding ((twenty words, or)) seventy-five words ((in the case of a school district  tax proposition,)) containing the essential features thereof expressed in such a manner as to clearly identify the proposition to be voted upon, which statement shall be prepared by the city attorney for the city, and by the prosecuting attorney for the county or any other political subdivision of the state, other than cities, situated in the county.

          ((Such)) The concise statement ((shall)) constitutes the ballot title.  The secretary of state shall certify to the county auditors the ballot title for a proposed constitution, constitutional amendment or other state-wide question at the same time and in the same manner as the ballot titles to initiatives and referendums.