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                                         SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 108

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Bauer, Benitz, Moore and Lee; by Temporary Committee on Educational Policies request

Read first time 2/1/85 and referred to Committee on Education.

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 Article III, sections 1 and 3 of the Constitution of the state of Washington to read as follows:

Article III, section 1.           The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and a commissioner of public lands, who shall be severally chosen by the qualified electors of the state at the same time and place of voting as for the members of the legislature except for the superintendent of public instruction, who shall be appointed by the state board of education and serve at its pleasure.

Article III, section 3.           The lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, ((superintendent of public instruction,)) and commissioner of public lands, shall hold their offices for four years respectively, and until their successors are elected and qualified.

Article III, section 10.          In case of the removal, resignation, death or disability of the governor, the duties of the office shall devolve upon the lieutenant governor; and in case of a vacancy in both the offices of governor and lieutenant governor, the duties of the governor shall devolve upon the secretary of state.  In addition to the line of succession to the office and duties of governor as hereinabove indicated, if the necessity shall arise, in order to fill the vacancy in the office of governor, the following state officers shall succeed to the duties of governor and in the order named, viz.:  Treasurer, auditor, attorney general, ((superintendent of public instruction)) and commissioner of public lands.  In case of the death, disability, failure or refusal of the person regularly elected to the office of governor to qualify at the time provided by law, the duties of the office shall devolve upon the person regularly elected to and qualified for the office of lieutenant governor, who shall act as governor until the disability be removed, or a governor be elected; and in case of the death, disability, failure or refusal of both the governor and the lieutenant governor elect to qualify, the duties of the governor shall devolve upon the secretary of state; and in addition to the line of succession to the office and duties of governor as hereinabove indicated, if there shall be the failure or refusal of any officer named above to qualify, and if the necessity shall arise by reason thereof, then in that event in order to fill the vacancy in the office of governor, the following state officers shall succeed to the duties of governor in the order named, viz:  Treasurer, auditor, attorney general, ((superintendent of public instruction)) and commissioner of public lands.  Any person succeeding to the office of governor as in this section provided, shall perform the duties of such office only until the disability be removed, or a governor be elected and qualified; and if a vacancy occur more than thirty days before the next general election occurring within two years after the commencement of the term, a person shall be elected at such election to fill the office of governor for the remainder of the unexpired term.        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the foregoing amendment shall be construed as a single amendment within the meaning of Article XXIII, section 1 of this Constitution.

          The legislature finds that the changes contained in the foregoing amendment constitute a single integrated plan for the purpose of having the superintendent appointed by the state board of education.  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.