H-1025.1                  _______________________________________________

                                       HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 4411

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State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Representatives Pruitt, Veloria, J. Kohl and Conway

Read first time 02/03/93.  Referred to Committee on State Government.

Establishing a task force on democracy.

          WHEREAS, The state of Washington is shifting away from an industrial and natural resource-based economy and is entering the information era; and

          WHEREAS, The governmental and political systems of the industrial era may need to be modified to adapt to the new socioeconomic realities of the information era; and

          WHEREAS, Washington's entry into the information era requires that the people reexamine the fundamental structure of government to determine whether some elements of the system are obsolete and whether new structures might be needed; and

          WHEREAS, Washington's entry into the information era requires that the people reexamine the legislative process and the role played by the political parties, special interest groups, the media, and the public; and

          WHEREAS, Washington's entry into the information era requires that the people reexamine the timing of elections and legislative sessions; and

          WHEREAS, Washington's entry into the information era requires that the people reexamine the political system and the roles played by the political parties, the special interest groups, the media, and the public;

          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the House of Representatives of the state of Washington, the Senate concurring, That a task force on Democracy in the Twenty-First Century be established to identify whether structural and procedural changes are needed in the political system and in government, to propose needed legislation, and to determine the need for a state constitutional convention; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee consist of eight members, four members each selected by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate with two members from each of the four caucuses; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee invite the political parties, a broad range of special interest groups, the media, and the public to participate in this effort; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and recommendations to the legislature at the regular session held in 1995.

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