H-5495              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4047

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                        1988 First Special Session

By Representatives Valle, Holland, Beck, Moyer, Peery, Sprenkle, Kremen, Heavey, Pruitt, O'Brien, S. Wilson, Lux, Nelson, Schmidt, Fisher, Hargrove, Anderson, Unsoeld, Sayan, Winsley, Jacobsen and K. Wilson

Read first time 3/12/88 and referred to Committee on Constitution, Elections & Ethics.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, 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 Puget Sound Naval Shipyard recently reminded their employees of a statute restricting the political activities of federal employees; and

          WHEREAS, This statute, called the Hatch Act, was originally passed in 1939 to stop Works Progress Administration officials from using their positions to win votes for favored candidates; and

          WHEREAS, The Hatch Act was also intended to protect federal workers from partisan pressure by government officials; and

          WHEREAS, Many unions representing federal employees now believe the Hatch Act to be an outdated and unjust infringement on citizens' right to free speech; and

          WHEREAS, Many employees of the Puget Sound Navel Shipyard also believe the outdated Hatch Act to be an infringement on their right to free speech; and

          WHEREAS, The National Treasury Employees Union and other unions representing federal employees support the elimination of the Hatch Act and favor, instead, a bill that has passed the Congressional House of Representatives and is now before the Senate; and

          WHEREAS, This measure would allow federal employees no political activity on the job, but freedom to pursue any political activity on one's own time, thereby eliminating the vagueness and confusion surrounding Hatch Act restrictions; and

          WHEREAS, The bill would also strengthen penalties for political coercion, thereby maintaining the protection needed by federal workers;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that:

          (1) The Congress of the United States recognize that the Hatch Act is outdated and repressive to federal employees; and

          (2) The Congress of the United States eliminate the Hatch Act and approve instead H.R. 3400, which would accomplish the benefits listed above.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, 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.