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 the secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article II, sections 4 and 6 of the Constitution of the state of Washington, to Article III of the Constitution of the state of Washington by adding a new section, and to Article IV, section 3 of the Constitution of the state of Washington to read as follows:

Article II, section 4. (1) Members of the house of representatives shall be elected in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-nine at the time and in the manner provided by this Constitution, and shall hold their offices for the term of one year and until their successors shall be elected.

(2) No person may be elected to the house of representatives more than four times. This subsection does not apply to any person holding the office of representative when this joint resolution was proposed by the legislature, and does not prevent any person who may be holding the office of representative, or acting as representative, during the term within which this joint resolution becomes operative from holding the office of representative or acting as representative during the remainder of such term.

Article II, section 6. (1) After the first election the senators shall be elected by single districts of convenient and contiguous territory, at the same time and in the same manner as members of the house of representatives are required to be elected; and no representative district shall be divided in the formation of a senatorial district. They shall be elected for the term of four years, one-half of their number retiring every two years. The senatorial districts shall be numbered consecutively, and the senators chosen at the first election had by virtue of this Constitution, in odd numbered districts, shall go out of office at the end of the first year; and the senators, elected in the even numbered districts, shall go out of office at the end of the third year.

(2) No person may be elected to the office of senator more than twice, and no person who has held the office of senator, or acted as senator, for more than one year of a term for which some other person was elected senator may be elected to the office of senator more than once. This subsection does not apply to any person holding the office of senator when this joint resolution was proposed by the legislature, and does not prevent any person who may be holding the office of senator, or acting as senator, during the term within which this joint resolution becomes operative from holding the office of senator or acting as senator during the remainder of such term.

Article III, section . . .. No person may be elected to any single state office more than twice, and no person who has held a single state office, or acted as a state officer, for more than one year of a term for which some other person was elected to that state office may be elected to that state office more than once. This subsection does not apply to any person holding any state office when this joint resolution was proposed by the legislature, and does not prevent any person who may be holding a state office, or acting as a state officer, during the term within which this joint resolution becomes operative from holding that state office or acting as that state officer during the remainder of such term.

Article IV, section 3. (1) The judges of the supreme court shall be elected by the qualified electors of the state at large at the general state election at the times and places at which state officers are elected, unless some other time be provided by the legislature. The first election of judges of the supreme court shall be at the election which shall be held upon the adoption of this Constitution and the judges elected thereat shall be classified by lot, so that two shall hold their office for the term of three years, two for the term of five years, and one for the term of seven years. The lot shall be drawn by the judges who shall for that purpose assemble at the seat of government, and they shall cause the result thereof to be certified to the secretary of state, and filed in his office. The supreme court shall select a chief justice from its own membership to serve for a four-year term at the pleasure of a majority of the court as prescribed by supreme court rule. The chief justice shall preside at all sessions of the supreme court. In case of the absence of the chief justice, the majority of the remaining court shall select one of their members to serve as acting chief justice. After the first election the terms of judges elected shall be six years from and after the second Monday in January next succeeding their election. If a vacancy occur in the office of a judge of the supreme court the governor shall only appoint a person to ensure the number of judges as specified by the legislature, to hold the office until the election and qualification of a judge to fill the vacancy, which election shall take place at the next succeeding general election, and the judge so elected shall hold the office for the remainder of the unexpired term. The term of office of the judges of the supreme court, first elected, shall commence as soon as the state shall have been admitted into the Union, and continue for the term herein provided, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The sessions of the supreme court shall be held at the seat of government until otherwise provided by law.

(2) No person may be elected to the office of supreme court judge more than twice, and no person who has held the office of supreme court judge, or acted as supreme court judge, for more than one year of a term for which some other person was elected supreme court judge may be elected to the office of supreme court judge more than once. This subsection does not apply to any person holding the office of supreme court judge when this joint resolution was proposed by the legislature, and does not prevent any person who may be holding the office of supreme court judge, or acting as supreme court judge, during the term within which this joint resolution becomes operative from holding the office of supreme court judge or acting as supreme court judge during the remainder of such term.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the amendment is a single amendment within the meaning of Article XXIII, section 1 of the state Constitution.

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

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

--- END ---