Clean Elections News 2010

[eridani]

WashClean friends,

Our proposed judicial bills are advancing - Supreme Court Fair Elections, public financing as an option for state supreme court campaigns.

Here's a one-page handout, making the case.
http://www.washclean.org/Library/Supreme-Court-Fair-Elections-The-Case-for-1p-1-11-2010.pdf
And here's a one-page summary of the bill.
http://www.washclean.org/Library/Summary-1-page-Proposed-Judicial-Bill-1-2010.pdf

For details on the legislative website, click SB 5912 or HB 1738
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5912&year=2009
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1738&year=2009

Lobbying Update:

Since the start of the legislative session January 11th, we've been meeting with committee chairs and members, to brief them on the proposed bill, and to seek their support.

First step will be a public hearing - probably the week of January 25th - in the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee, the House committee which will first consider the bill.

WashClean supporters from the 31st Legislative District traveled to Olympia to meet with Rep. Chris Hurst, resulting in his support for the bill - a key vote, providing a majority to move the bill along. Thank you, 31st-ers!

We made a presentation (Friday, January 15th) to the Board for Judicial Administration - chaired by Chief Justice Barbara Madsen. The BJA members include of most of the judge associations in the state, as well as representatives of organizations concerned with the judiciary.

Rep. Marko Liias made our presentation to the BJA. There was common acknowledgment that the integrity and impartiality of our courts are under threat from special-interest campaign contributions, and there seemed to be support for a program of public financing of judicial campaigns, if only a funding mechanism can be found that is practical and politically feasible.

Read WPC's 2-page presentation to the BJA, click here.
http://www.washclean.org/Library/Supreme-Court-Fair-Elections-BJA-present_1-15-10.pdf

Funding a judicial campaigns public financing program:

Working with bill sponsor Rep. Marko Liias (D-21st LD, Mukilteo) and legislative staff, we have been tweaking a proposed financing mechanism - hopefully with "nexus" to the courts, and something other than tapping the state's general fund (which we know is on life-support and is dollars needed to support basic health and other essential services). Right now, we're proposing to fund the program through a small surcharge ($1-$2) on court filing fees, applied to district and superior courts, and perhaps to some administrative hearings. This may change.

Our objective is a funding somehow that would provide $1.5 million per year (or $3 million per election cycle) for supreme court races. These details will be worked out very soon - in time for a hearing on the bill in the House, hopefully next week.

OTHER LEGISLATIVE NEWS,

Bills would limit campaign contributions at city and county levels:

Two bills have been filed in the Senate which would apply existing statewide campaign contribution limits ($800 per election, so $1,600 including primary and general elections) to all cities and all non-charter counties (those that don't already have limits established by local charter). Right now, there are NO contributions limits in any local city or county with fewer than 200,000 registered voters.

The bills are to be heard in the Senate Government Operations Committee, Thursday, Jan. 21st, chaired by Sen. Darlene Fairley, at 3:30 PM. WPC will likely support these bills.

The bills are: SB 6344 and SB 6285

In each case, these bills do not preclude local jurisdictions from adopting tougher (lower) contribution limits.

For details, go to the WA Legislature website - www.leg.wa.gov/pages/home.aspx. Click on "Bill Information", enter bill #'s in the box, and you can read bill documents, including staff Bill Information summaries. Very useful.

Please Speak Up!

The time to make or change law, is when the lawmakers are in session! Yet - achieving progress is totally dependent on support from voters in each district. If you care about this issue, you must make your voice heard - to your own district lawmakers!

It's easy and fast. Call the Legislative Hotline [phone]. Operators will take a message from you, which bills or issues you're concerned about, and pass it along to your state senator and your two state representatives. Or, you can write or email your lawmakers directly, details here: http://www.washclean.org/contactlegislators.htm

Please do this! Ask them to support Fair Elections for the Supreme Court, HB 1738, and SB 5912.

AND - please support our work financially - see below.

Thanks for all you do! Call me with any questions.

~ Craig
_________________________
Craig Salins, Executive Director
Washington Public Campaigns
www.washclean.org
wpc {at} washclean.org
206-784-2522