H-2453.1  _______________________________________________

                     HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4018

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Gombosky, O'Brien, Blalock, Kessler, Doumit, Tokuda and Murray

Read first time 03/05/97.  Referred to Committee on Government Administration.

Petitioning Congress for a Constitutional amendment to limit campaign spending.

    TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, The result of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Buckley v. Vallejo, has made it impossible for local, state, or federal government to limit the amount of money that can be spent on campaigns for elective office; and

    WHEREAS, The level of spending on campaigns for state and federal office has dramatically increased in recent years, making the political process and democratic governance increasingly responsive to the power of money; and

    WHEREAS, The public believes by overwhelming margins that limitations should be imposed on the amount of money spent on campaigns and feels increasingly disenfranchised by the ever-expanding level of funding required for campaigns for political office; and

    WHEREAS, The expanded level of funding for campaigns for political office has resulted in increasing public concern with the undue influence of large campaign contributors on the political process; and

    WHEREAS, The influence of dramatically expanded levels of campaign funding is leading to a distortion of our democracy, making it harder for the voices of ordinary citizens to be heard in the political process;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that a constitutional amendment be drafted and introduced to limit the amount of money that can be spent on campaigns.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

                            --- END ---