The Supreme Court Fair Elections Bill (HB 1738/SB 5912) would create publicly funded elections for Washington's Supreme Court. With 32 co-sponsors in the House, this bill will get some traction in Olympia this session.

Why is this important? There is a direct correlation between campaign contributions and court decisions with a West Virginia case now heading to the U.S. Supreme Court after a West Virginia Supreme Court justice was elected with $3 million in campaign aid from the CEO of Massey Energy, a coal mining company. A year later, that judge provided the deciding vote in a lawsuit to absolve the company of a $50 million fine, imposed by a jury following illegal corporate behavior.

For more details about the FENA bill, visit the Common Cause website.

In January, the Washington State House voted 56-38 in favor of HB 1551 that would allow local jurisdictions to create their own programs of public financing for campaigns for local office. A companion Senate bill, SB 5278, is being considered currently. The bill is NOT a mandate - only permission. No state funds are involved. And, any local program must be approved in a referendum to local voters. America In Solidarity is in favor of election reform and embraces this concept as a way of reducing the corporate, big money influence upon our democracy and elections.

We encourage Washington State residents to contact your Senators either by email or by calling 1-800-562-6000 and tell them to support SB 5278.

Ranked Choice Voting Bill also on docket

SB 6000 (and House Companion bill 2202) would allow cities and local taxing districts to use ranked choice voting in counties where it is allowed. America In Solidarity supported Pierce County's passing of ranked choice voting in 2006. Ranked choice is commonly known as instant runoff voting.

   On March 20th, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL), alongside sponsor Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) introduced the bipartisan Fair Elections Now Act.  Modeled on the successful systems in Maine, Arizona, and North Carolina, the bill will provide full public financing for qualified congressional candidates.

   In the U.S. House, Representatives John Tierney (D-MA) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), have introduced companion legislation, the Clean Money Clean Elections Act (HR 3099). 

If you want Clean Elections and an end to rule by special interest money, legislative leaders must hear from you.

EVEN IF you have called or written before - DO IT AGAIN!

Leave a message for your legislators and the House Speaker: "Enact HB 1551 and HB 1186 now!"

HB 1551, sponsored by Rep. Joe McDermott, would simply grant permission to local cities and other jurisdictions to have their own public financing programs, if they want.

It is not a mandate from the state - only permission.
It does not cost the state any money.
Citizens of local juridictions should have the ability to decide on their own, what they want.

HB 1186, sponsored by Rep. Shay Schual-Berke at the request of the Governor, would establish a 6-year pilot program of public financing for campaigns for the state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. It is a well-crafted proposal, and at $4.4 million for the biennium, it would cost less than 50 cents per resident per year.

OUR COURTS should not be for sale to the highest bidder! Judges should not be raising campaign cash from special interests, in order to be elected to the top judicial authority of our state!

AND AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, candidates for city or county council deserve the option to run on public financing - if the city or county so chooses.

PUBLIC FINANCING OF CAMPAIGNS makes sense - so that issues and voters, not money, determines the outcome in our elections. Campaigns should be owned and funded by citizens, not by special interests. When private money pays the piper, it wants something in return. When the funding is public, candidates can run for office on their ideas - they owe their political soul only to the voters.

If we ever want a system where voters and issues matter more than money, we have to push through a judicial bill this session. So that in coming years, our public will see that public financing works. Arizona does it. So does Maine. North Carolina does it for judicial races - and in all these states, it works, and it's
popular. Why not Washington?

Call your Washington State Legislator at 1-800-562-6000 or email them and tell them to support HB 1186. 

Six things to know about this bill as provided by our friends at Washington Public Campaigns:

1. The judicial bill (HB 1186) now crafted as a compromise between the Governor's office and House sponsors is a good bill - especially with the latest revisions. This program can work - to remove our courts from the corrosive influence of private special-interest money. Let's enact it into law - this year!

There are a slew of bills in Olympia this session that could change Washington State politics for the better, at least as far as working families are concerned.

Last week, the Washington State Senate passed out of committee SB 5226 that would provide funding of judicial elections. This week, the House Committee will hear testimony on the following House Bills:

• HB 1360 Comprehensive Clean Elections public funding
• HB 1589 Funding judicial races (Governor version)
• HB 1186 Funding judicial races (Rep. Shay Schual-Berke version)
• HB 1551 Allowing public funding of local office campaigns

There will be a rally on Wednesday on the capitol campus to support the public funding of campaigns.

If you cannot make the rally, we encourage you to write your Washington State legislator or call them at 1-800-562-6000 and tell them to support clean elections.

After millions were spent in an attempt to purchase three seats for big business on the Washington State Supreme Court in the '06 elections, a bill to provide public campaign financing in judicial races is moving forward. Senate Bill 5226 will be given a hearing on Thursday in front of the Government Operations and Elections Committee. This bill, supported by America In Solidarity, has been requested by Governor Gregoire and money has been set aside in her biennial budget to fund the pilot program it would create. Please email the following committee members and express your support for the legislation:

Use the bill number (5226)in the subject line and give your legislative district with your signature.

Darlene Fairley – Chair (D) 32nd LD (Lake Forest Park) fairly.Darlene@leg.wa.gov
Eric Oemig – Vice Chair (D) 45th LD (Kirkland) oemig.eric@leg.wa.gov
Pam Roach – Ranking Minority Member (R) 31st LD (Auburn) roach.pam@leg.wa.gov
Don Benton (R) 17th LD (Vancouver) benton.don@leg.wa.gov
Adam Kline (D) 37th LD (Seattle) kline.adam@leg.wa.gov
Craig Pridemore (D) 49th LD (Vancouver) pridemore.craig@leg.wa.gov
Dan Swecker (R) 20th LD (Rochester) swecker.dan@leg.wa.gov

According to a story in the Dec. 19 Seattle P-I, Washington State's Governor Gregoire is planning to introduce a bill in this year's legislature that will set aside $4 million for a pilot program of public financing of judicial campaigns. This comes in response to the ridiculous amount of third party spending that dominated the 2006 Washington State Supreme Court elections. Heavily financed by pro-business interests, over $2.7 million was spent in the elections in an unsuccessful effort to unseat the three moderate justices. There will likely be several bills introduced this session concerning public financing and America In Solidarity plans to be active in supporting all of them. Email your Washington State legislator to tell them to support clean elections.

For more information on public financing check out:

Lets bring in the New Year with a resolution to help clean up our elections. Washington Public Campaigns and others will hold Clean Elections Forums Jan 4th - Jan 6th to discuss the ways to promote legislation and inform the community on this national movement. Public financed campaigns would enable our elected officials to spend more time on important issues and less time on fund raising. It would allow more ordinary concerned citizens to run for offices. Hopefully it will restore the balance to the process and rebuild our trust also.

David Sirota, Jim McDermott and Legislators from Arizona and Maine will be some of the featured speakers.