WASHINGTON STATE
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE II, SECTION 43
REDISTRICTING.
(1) In
January of each year ending in one, a commission shall be established to
provide for the redistricting of state legislative and congressional districts.
(2) The
commission shall be composed of five members to be selected as follows: The
legislative leader of the two largest political parties in each house of the
legislature shall appoint one voting member to the commission by January 15th
of each year ending in one. By January 31st of each year ending in one, the
four appointed members, by an affirmative vote of at least three, shall appoint
the remaining member. The fifth member of the commission, who shall be
nonvoting, shall act as its chairperson. If any appointing authority fails to
make the required appointment by the date established by this subsection,
within five days after that date the supreme court shall make the required
appointment.
(3) No
elected official and no person elected to legislative district, county, or
state political party office may serve on the commission. A commission member
shall not have been an elected official and shall not have been an elected
legislative district, county, or state political party officer within two years
of his or her appointment to the commission. The provisions of this subsection
do not apply to the office of precinct committee person.
(4) The legislature shall enact laws providing for the implementation of this section, to include additional qualifications for commissioners and additional standards to govern the commission. The legislature shall appropriate funds to enable the commission to carry out its duties.
(5) Each district shall contain a population, excluding nonresident military personnel, as nearly equal as practicable to the population of any other district. To the extent reasonable, each district shall contain contiguous territory, shall be compact and convenient, and shall be separated from adjoining districts by natural geographic barriers, artificial barriers, or political subdivision boundaries. The commission's plan shall not provide for a number of legislative districts different than that established by the legislature. The commission's plan shall not be drawn purposely to favor or discriminate against any political party or group.
(6) The
commission shall complete redistricting as soon as possible following the
federal decennial census, but no later than January 1st of each year ending in
two. At least three of the voting members shall approve such a redistricting
plan. If three of the voting members of the commission fail to approve a plan
within the time limitations provided in this subsection, the supreme court
shall adopt a plan by April 30th of the year ending in two in conformance with
the standards set forth in subsection (5) of this section.
(7) The
legislature may amend the redistricting plan but must do so by a two-thirds
vote of the legislators elected or appointed to each house of the legislature.
Any amendment must have passed both houses by the end of the thirtieth day of
the first session convened after the commission has submitted its plan to the
legislature. After that day, the plan, with any legislative amendments,
constitutes the state districting law.
(8) The
legislature shall enact laws providing for the reconvening of a commission for
the purpose of modifying a districting law adopted under this section. Such
reconvening requires a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected or appointed
to each house of the legislature. The commission shall conform to the standards
prescribed under subsection (5) of this section and any other standards or
procedures that the legislature may provide by law. At least three of the
voting members shall approve such a modification. Any modification adopted by
the commission may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the legislators elected
and appointed to each house of the legislature. The state districting law shall
include the modifications with amendments, if any.
(9) The
legislature shall prescribe by law the terms of commission members and the
method of filling vacancies on the commission.
(10) The
supreme court has original jurisdiction to hear and decide all cases involving
congressional and legislative redistricting.
(11)
Legislative and congressional districts may not be changed or established
except pursuant to this section. A districting plan and any legislative
amendments to the plan are not subject to Article III, section 12 of this
Constitution.
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