H-891                _______________________________________________

                                         HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 4206

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representative Brekke

Read first time 1/18/89 and referred to Committee on State Government.

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 there shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to the Constitution of the state of Washington by amending Article II, sections 2 and 12; by adding a new section to Article II; and by repealing Article XXII, sections 1 and 2, to read as follows:

        Sec. 1.  Article II, section 2.              The house of representatives shall be composed of ((not less than sixty-three nor more than ninety-nine)) fifty members.  ((The number of senators shall not be more than one-half nor less than one-third of the number of members of the house of representatives.  The first legislature shall be composed of seventy members of the house of representatives, and thirty-five senators.)) The senate shall be composed of twenty-five members.

        Sec. 2.  Article II, section 12.             (1)  Regular Sessions.  ((A regular session of)) The legislature shall ((be convened)) convene each year((.))  in regular session((s shall convene)) on such days and at such times as the legislature shall determine by statute.  ((During each odd-numbered year, the regular session shall not be more than one hundred five consecutive days.  During each even-numbered year, the regular session shall not be more than sixty consecutive days.)) Each regular session shall adjourn sine die on a day and at a time determined by concurrent resolution of the legislature.

          (2)  Special Legislative Sessions.  Special legislative sessions may be convened for a period of not more than thirty consecutive days by proclamation of the governor pursuant to Article III, section 7 of this Constitution.  Special legislative sessions may also be convened for a period of not more than thirty consecutive days by resolution of the legislature upon the affirmative vote in each house of two-thirds of the members elected or appointed thereto, which vote may be taken and resolution executed either while the legislature is in session or during any interim between sessions in accordance with such procedures as the legislature may provide by law or resolution.  The resolution convening the legislature shall specify a purpose or purposes for the convening of a special session, and any special session convened by the resolution shall consider only measures germane to the purpose or purposes expressed in the resolution, unless by resolution adopted during the session upon the affirmative vote in each house of two-thirds of the members elected or appointed thereto, an additional purpose or purposes are expressed.  The specification of purpose by the governor pursuant to Article III, section 7 of this Constitution shall be considered by the legislature but shall not be mandatory.

          (3)  Committees of the Legislature.  Standing and special committees of the legislature shall meet and conduct official business pursuant  to such rules as the legislature may adopt.

        Sec. 3.  Article II, section ...              At the general election to be held in November 1992, persons elected to the senate in even numbered districts shall be elected to terms of two years.  Thereafter, the term of office of each person elected to the senate from an even numbered district shall be four years.  Persons elected to the senate in odd numbered districts at the November 1992 general election shall be elected to terms of four years.

        Sec. 4.  Article XXII, sections 1 and 2 of the state Constitution are each repealed.

        Sec. 5.      The amendments to Article II, sections 2 and 12 of the state Constitution shall take effect on January 1, 1993. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the foregoing amendment shall be construed as a single amendment within the meaning of Article XXIII, section 1 of the state Constitution.

          The legislature finds that the changes contained in the foregoing amendment constitute a single integrated plan for reorganizing the legislature.  If the foregoing amendment is held to be separate amendments, this joint resolution shall be void in its entirety and shall be of no further force and effect.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of the foregoing constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.