H-3814              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2709

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Representatives Crane and Appelwick

Read first time 1/19/90 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to district court electoral districts; amending RCW 3.38.070 and 3.34.020; and declaring an emergency.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 2, chapter 227, Laws of 1989 and RCW 3.38.070 are each amended to read as follows:

          A county legislative authority for a county that has a single district but has multiple locations for courtrooms may establish separate electoral districts to provide for election of district court judges by subcounty local districts.  As nearly as possible, the electoral districts shall follow precinct lines((, follow)) and neighborhood and community boundaries((, and include approximately equal population)).  The procedures in chapter 3.38 RCW for the establishment of district court districts apply to the establishment of separate electoral districts authorized by this section.  The number of judges in each electoral district shall be determined by RCW 3.34.020.

        Sec. 2.  Section 11, chapter 299, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 112, chapter 202, Laws of 1987 and RCW 3.34.020 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In each district having a population of forty thousand or more but less than sixty thousand, there shall be elected one full time district judge; in each district having a population of sixty thousand but less than one hundred twenty-five thousand, there shall be elected two full time judges; in each district having a population of one hundred twenty-five thousand but less than two hundred thousand, there shall be elected three full time judges; and in each district having a population of two hundred thousand or more there shall be elected one additional full time judge for each additional one hundred thousand persons or fraction thereof.  If a district having one or more full time judges should change in population, for reasons other than change in district boundaries, sufficiently to require a change in the number of judges previously authorized to it, the change shall be made by the county legislative authority without regard to RCW 3.34.010 as now or hereafter amended and shall become effective on the second Monday of January of the year following.  Upon any redistricting of the county thereafter the number of judges in the county shall be designated under RCW 3.34.010.  In a district having a population of one hundred twenty thousand people or more adjoining a metropolitan county of another state which has a population in excess of five hundred thousand, there shall be one full time judge in addition to the number otherwise allowed by this section and without regard to RCW 3.34.030 or resolution of the county legislative authority.  The county legislative authority may by resolution make a part time position a full time office.  The county legislative authority may by resolution provide for the election of one full time judge in addition to the number of full time judges authorized.

(2) In a county in which separate electoral districts have been created under the authority of RCW 3.38.070, the term "district" in subsection (1) of this section means "electoral district."

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.