STATE GOVERNMENT
Washington Voting Rights Act passes House for 5th year
OLYMPIA (March 2, 2017) — The House of Representatives has again passed the Washington Voting Rights Act, which would enable cities and counties to fix unfair, undemocratic voting systems and avoid costly litigation. This is the fifth year in a row that the Democratic-controlled House has passed this legislation; earlier versions have not made it out of the Republican-controlled Senate.
HB 1800, approved on a party-line 51-46 vote on Monday, is about making sure everyone in this state has the opportunity to have their voice heard in local democracy.
By empowering local jurisdictions to fix the problem, HB 1800 is designed to lower costs for local governments and taxpayers. Municipalities that make meaningful changes would be protected from future lawsuits. The result would be an improved process for addressing systems that perpetually underrepresent the needs of some voters, such as moving from at-large to districted elections. Underrepresented voters would have a stronger voice in the government closest to them.
“Representative government starts with having elected officials that understand local issues and have the trust of the community,” Gregerson said. “Unfortunately, in some places the system that we have been using for decades is no longer working for everyone. This law would help to safely break down an archaic system that makes it difficult for disenfranchised communities. I am hopeful that with each year we pass this bill we are a step closer to creating a system that provides accountability for elected officials at every level.”
The House-approved HB 1800 has been referred to the Senate State Government Committee chaired by Sen. Mark Miloscia (R-Federal Way).