In the Washington Senate, the following bills have been filed:
SB-5278 – Concerning use of public funds to finance campaigns for local office.
The Primary Sponsor of this bill is Sen. Rosa Franklin from the 29th LD. Co-sponsors include: Jim Kastama (25th LD), Adam Kline (37th LD), Harriet Spanel (40th LD), Karen Keiser (33rd LD), Jeanne Kohl-Welles (36th LD), Rosemary McAuliffe (1st LD), Debbie Regala (27th LD), Craig Pridemore (49th LD), Erik Poulsen (34th LD), Karen Fraser (22nd LD), Marilyn Rasmussen (2nd LD), and Phil Rockerfeller (23rd LD). This bill is the same one that passed out of the Senate last year but did not get out of the House due to the short session. The bill will allow for local and regional governments to voluntarily create mechanisms to publicly finance campaigns at that level. This bill has been referred to the Government Operations and Elections Committee
SB-5226 - Providing for public funding of judicial campaigns.
This bill was requested by Governor Gregoire and the language, in large part, was crafted by her legislative affairs office. The Prime Sponsor in the Senate is Eric Oemig (45th LD), Vice-chair of the Government Operations and Elections Committee. Co-sponsors include: Darlene Fairley (32dn LD), Chair of that committee, Phil Rockerfeller (23rd LD), Jeanne Kohl-Welles (36th LD), and Adam Kline (37th LD). Although I believe that some of the financial thresholds in this bill are a bit on the high end and, therefore, do not quite embrace the true nature of Clean Elections, the fact that it was requested by the governor and is sponsored by both the Chair and Vice-chair of the responsible committee increases its chances for passage and may well be the first step toward state-wide public financing.
SB-5510 – Regarding Public Financing of Campaigns.
Senator Jim Kastama (25th LD) is the Prime Sponsor of this bill that would call for public financing of all state-wide and legislative campaigns in Washington State. The co-sponsors include: Eric Oemig (45th LD) and Adam Kline (37th LD). This bill will require the most work on the part of concerned citizens but will produce the biggest result. As you can see, the list of sponsors is short. However, Senators Oemig and Kline are both on the responsible committee (Government Operations and Elections) and should be very influential in this effort.
If you see your senator in the names listed above, please call and/or email them and thank them for stepping forward. If your senator’s name is not included above, call and/or email them and ask them to give their attention to these bills and help get them to the governor’s desk for signature this session.
On the House side we will start with the companion bill to SB-5510. HB-1360 – Regarding the Public Financing of Campaigns.
HB-1360 contains almost identical language to SB-5510. The Prime sponsor for this bill is Mark Miloscia (30th LD), a member of the State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee where this bill will be referred in the House. Co-sponsors include: Maralyn Chase (32nd LD), Ruth Kagi (32nd LD), Joe McDermott (34th LD), Bob Hasegawa (11th LD), Eric Pettigrew (37th LD), Tim Ormsby (3rd LD), Sherry Appleton (23rd LD), Jim McIntire (46th LD), and Roger Goodman (45th LD).
HB-1186 – Modifying Provisions on Judicial Campaigns
Shay Schual-Berke (33rd LD) is the Prime Sponsor of this bill that, in my opinion, gets us closer to the spirit of Clean Elections for the State Court of Appeals and the State Supreme Court races. The co-sponsors for this bill include: Sam Hunt (22nd LD), Chair of the State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee, Hans Dunshee (44th LD), Helen Sommers (36th LD), Jeannie Darneille (27th LD), Eileen Cody (34th LD), Mary Lou Dickerson (36th LD), Tami Green (28th LD), Sharon Tomiko Santos (37th LD), Patricia Lantz (26th LD), Phyllis Kenney (46th LD), Mary Helen Roberts (21st LD), Joe McDermott (34th LD), Maralyn Chase (32nd LD), Ruth Kagi (32nd LD), Eric Pettigrew (37th LD), Mark Miloscia (30th LD), Sherry Appleton (23rd LD), and Tim Ormsby (3rd LD). In addition, I have been told by Mike Sells (38th LD) that he is in support of this bill.
As of this writing there is no House companion bill to SB-5278 for local elections. However, Joe McDermott (34th LD) has indicated that he will have that bill introduced shortly and Mike Sells (38th LD) has informed me that he will be signing on as a co-sponsor.
[UPDATE] HB-1551 - Allowing Public Funding of Local Office Campaigns was just filed today by Joe McDermott.Co-sponsors are: Miloscia, Dunshee, Sells, Cody, Green, Ormsby, Appleton, Hunt, Chase, Schual-Berke, Roberts, Hasegawa, Kagi, McIntire, Bill Fromhold (49th LD), Jim Moeller (49th LD), Jamie Pedersen (43rd LD), and Christine Rolfes (23rd LD).
Again, if you see your representative mentioned above please thank them. If your representative is not mentioned, please contact them and ask for their support. On Thursday, January 25th, the Senate Government Operations and Elections Committee will be holding their first public hearing on SB-5226 (you obviously get quick action when you’re the governor). From the email notification sent out by WPC:
First Clean Elections Bill Hearing in Olympia:
Thursday, January 25 3:30 p.m.
Senate Government Operations & Elections Committee
Senate Hearing Room 2
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA
Public Hearing:
1. SB 5226, Providing for public funding of judicial campaigns
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IMPORTANT: If you can attend, RSVP to:
Sarajane Siegfriedt (WPC Lobbyist)
sarajane3h@comcast.net
Arrive at the Hearing by 3 p.m. to sign in as PRO and get a seat.
All Clean Elections supporters who can come early:
Rendezvous (optional) from 1:00 p.m. on, in the Cherberg Building or a nearby church, location to be posted soon on our website
(www.washclean.org).This will be a pre-hearing briefing, with information packets for everyone.
EVERYONE: Prior to Thursday, please email each of the legislators on the committee with a few sentences saying why you support this bill.
Use the bill number in the subject line and give your legislative district with your signature.
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Members, Senate Government Operations & Elections Committee:
Darlene Fairley, Chair (D) - 32nd LD fairley.darlene@leg.wa.gov
Eric Oemig, Vice Chair (D) - 45th LD oemig.eric@leg.wa.gov
Pam Roach, Ranking Minority Mbr (R) 31st LD roach.pam@leg.wa.gov
Don Benton (R) 17th LD benton.don@leg.wa.gov
Adam Kline (D) 37th LD kline.adam@leg.wa.gov
Craig Pridemore (D) 49th LD pridemore.craig@leg.wa.gov
Dan Swecker (R) 20th LD swecker.dan@leg.wa.gov
4 Democrats and 3 Republicans
Please copy Sarajane Siegfriedt bcc on your emails.
Sarajane3h@comcast.net
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Craig Salins
WPC Executive Coordinator
206-784-9695
craig@washclean.org
Peace,
Chad Shue
Vice-chair, Democracy for Snohomish County
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