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Orcutt files legislation to
reinstate
citizen-approved fundraising ‘freeze’
Initiative
134 limit on legislators’ post-session
fundraising lost in change to August primary
Rep. Ed Orcutt
today introduced legislation that would require lawmakers to again wait
at least 30 days after the end of a legislative session before beginning
or resuming campaign fundraising. The 30-day “freeze,” created by voters
through Initiative 134 in 1992, will disappear Jan. 1 when the law
moving Washington’s September primary to the third week of August takes
effect.
Today is the first day legislators may introduce bills for the 2007
session, which begins Jan. 8. Orcutt drove to Olympia to file his
measure, based on an amendment he filed prior to the House’s vote on the
August primary bill (Senate Bill 6236) during the 2006 legislative
session. The text of House Bill 1018 should be available for viewing on
the Legislature’s website (www.leg.wa.gov) no later than Tuesday.
“Restoring this limit is essential to maintaining the public trust
because it gives a 30-day separation between votes on legislation and
the start of fundraising,” said Orcutt, R-Kalama. “Waiting 30 days
shouldn’t hurt anyone’s fundraising plans. Everyone serving in the House
was elected or re-elected since I-134 became law, so they should be very
accustomed to the freeze and experienced at working within the
restrictions. Without this bill fundraising could begin immediately
after the session ends, which has been forbidden since 1992.
“There was a lot of momentum behind the August primary bill when it came
to the House, without the 30-day restriction. I agreed with the larger
idea of making the primary earlier, to ensure our overseas military
personnel would have the opportunity to vote. So instead of derailing
the bill by holding out for the freeze, I withdrew my amendment with an
agreement that it would become a stand-alone bill for 2007,” Orcutt
explained.
House Bill 1018 would shorten the fundraising window before an August
primary, but incumbent lawmakers would have as much time as ever to
raise money prior to a general election. Orcutt noted incumbents rarely
face primary challengers.
How HB 1018 fares may be affected by a recent change in House
leadership. Orcutt said the chairwoman of the House State Government
Committee, Rep. Kathy Haigh of Shelton, told him she would have a
hearing on a bill to restore the freeze if he introduced it for 2007.
But Haigh has since been appointed chair of a different committee, and
Orcutt said he expects to meet with the incoming State Government
chairman, Rep. Sam Hunt of Olympia, regarding his measure.
Orcutt was recently elected to a fourth term in the House from the 18th
Legislative District. He has been reappointed Republican leader on the
House Finance Committee and is awaiting the announcement of other
committee assignments for the 2007-09 legislative term.
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