H‑0447.1   _____________________________________________

HOUSE RESOLUTION 4602

           _____________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Kessler and Mastin

Read first time .  Referred to .

_1      WHEREAS, Washington State has used a blanket primary system to

_2  nominate candidates for partisan elective offices since the

_3  Legislature enacted Initiative to the Legislature No. 2 in 1935;

_4  and

_5      WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court held, in California

_6  Democratic Party et al. v. Jones, 530 U.S. . . ., 120 S.Ct 2402,

_7  (No. 99-401, June 26, 2000), that the blanket primary system in

_8  the State of California was an unconstitutional violation of a

_9  political party's First Amendment right of association; and

10      WHEREAS, The Washington State blanket primary system closely

11  resembles the California State blanket primary system; and

12      WHEREAS, The United States District Court, Western District of

13  Washington at Tacoma, issued a preliminary injunction on July 20,

14  2000, prohibiting the State of Washington from conducting

15  primaries for the Democratic and Republican Parties after 2000 in

16  which voters other than those authorized by a party are permitted

17  to participate in that party's primary; and

18      WHEREAS, The District Court directed the Democratic and

19  Republican Parties to submit proposed permanent injunctions by

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_1  March 1, 2001, to protect their rights concerning primaries for

_2  partisan elective offices in Washington State, and the Secretary

_3  of State to file a response to these proposals shortly thereafter;

_4      NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of

_5  Representatives establishes a select committee on elections to

_6  consider and develop legislation on conducting primaries for

_7  partisan elective offices in this state, along with any other

_8  election matters referred to the committee, and report legislation

_9  on these subjects out of committee with all the powers and duties

10  of a standing committee of the house; and

11      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee will consist of

12  eight members, four Republican and four Democratic; and

13      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee will cease to exist

14  on December 31, 2001.

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