Senator Pam Roach's Blog

State legislators should leave the initiative process alone

2011-02-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

Citizen activists and voters of all persuasions share a respect for this state’’s initiative process. But if Democrats have their way, they will enact a death blow on this time- honored constitutional right.

The News Tribune’s Feb. 17 editorial, “Initiative reform: First show us the problem,” makes it very clear that the Democrats’ legislation – Senate Bill 5297 – purports to correct a problem that does not exist. Indeed, in 12 years there have been more than 12.7 million voter signatures submitted to the secretary of state and only one problem signature gatherer, an SEIU volunteer. Only one incident in 12 years is an amazing fact.

SB 5297 is not designed to protect the signature-gathering process. It is designed to kill signature- gathering by increasing fees and creating ridiculously burdensome regulations while violating the constitutional rights of individual citizens in the process.

Voters are tired of huge fees and increasing regulations. They want their right to the initiative protected, not taxed and regulated out of existence.

SB 5297 would increase filing fees by 10,000 percent to $500. The increase is supposed to offset the costs to government. But serving the people in their legislative process should be considered part of the cost of doing business. After all, legislators are not charged $500 for each bill they write; why should the people be charged $500 a bill? According to the State Code Reviser’s office, there are no additional costs to taxpayers for the handful of initiatives filed each year.

Under SB 5297, the campaigns would need to complete an affidavit for every one of the tens of thousands of petition sheets turned in to the secretary of state. That’s just petty harassment. And there would be a fine of $500 for any sheet turned in without the signature gatherer’s home address information. Instead of just rejecting the sheet, there would be an onerous fine along with the rejection of perfectly valid voter signatures.

SB 5297 would require citizens to register and be licensed by the government to collect signatures. Citizens would be subjected to criminal background checks, fingerprinting and the potential of having their home mailing address posted on the web.

Such exposure would put citizens in danger of harassment, and fewer people would be willing to collect signatures. Since the registration would only be for paid signature gatherers and not union volunteers or activists, it would unconstitutionally treat some citizens differently than others.

If passed, the bill’s burdensome new bureaucracy would cost the taxpayers $360,000 to implement. At a time of $5 billion deficits, spending money on problems that don’t exist is absurd.

All attempts to moderate the bill were defeated and debate was closed off. SB 5297 was voted out of the Senate Governmental Operations, Tribal Affairs, and Elections Committee on a party-line vote. Democrats support the bill and Republicans oppose it.

The initiative process exists for everyone, regardless of political persuasion. Voters have approved liberal initiatives, conservative initiatives and nonpartisan initiatives. SB 5297 would end all that. This isn’t a bill that hurts only one side. It kills it for all of us.

Editorial boards across the state are opposed to this bill. The secretary of state strongly opposes its major provisions, and citizens have been bombarding their legislators for weeks with e-mails and phone calls asking legislators to just leave the initiative process alone. I agree with them.

The only true act of democracy in a republic is the initiative and referendum process, and this right of the people must be protected from burdensome, unconstitutional interference like SB 5297.

Legislature should not divest itself from toll and fee authority

2010-12-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

Last month I requested an informal opinion from Attorney General Rob McKenna regarding the effects of I-1053. Specifically, I asked if the Transportation Commission was still able to impose toll and fee increases given the clear language of I-1053 requiring a recorded vote in the House and Senate. I was extremely gratified that Attorney General Rob McKenna's opinion backs up the plain reading of the initiative, requiring the Legislature to specifically approve such increases. The responsibility for such impactful decisions must shift back to the Legislature.

I-1053 requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to raise taxes, but it also clearly requires a simple majority vote of both chambers and the governor's signature to raise fees, tolls, and ferry fares.

As a citizen legislator and co-sponsor of the initiative, I know that the people want to hold their elected officials accountable for all revenue increases.

Years ago, legislators figured they could avoid the potential wrath of voters if they could just find a way to blame someone else. And they did. The Legislature voted to give away its authority, and with it their responsibility and accountability, to the Transportation Commission, which has been working outside of the "accountability zone" for decades. It is wrong to have such a powerful body of unelected individuals making such impactful decisions.

I am confident that any attempt by the Democrat majority to sidestep the will of the people on I-1053 will be met by the fiercest resistance.

My floor speech against the majority party's proposed tax package

2010-03-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

My floor speech against SB 6843

2010-02-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

Honoring law enforcement

2010-02-08T16:35:00.001-08:00

We honored law enforcement with a resolution today, February 3, 2010. This is my floor speech.

My bill will protect the initiative signature-gathering process

2010-01-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

Today I introduced a bill that would protect the signature-gathering process for initiatives and referendums in Washington. Senate Bill 6752 is called the “Valid Voter Signature Protection Act.” It has been referred to the Senate Government Operations and Elections Committee.

Washington’s initiative and referendum system is a cherished part of our state’s populist-based democratic process. We need to protect the people’s right to offer initiatives and referendums. That means ensuring that valid signatures count when petitions are turned in. It also means protecting the safety of people who gather signatures for these ballot measures.

SB 6752 would require the secretary of state to accept a valid voter signature for an initiative or referendum petition if it matches the signature on the voter’s registration. Under the bill, initiative and referendum petitions shall not require signature gatherers to put their names and addresses on the petition.

There have been incidents when signature gatherers have been harassed and threatened. Their safety has been placed at risk. When this happens, gatherers are less likely to go out in public to get signatures. This in effect hinders political speech and the people’s right to initiatives and referendums. That’s why we should not require signature gatherers to list their names and addresses on petition sheets.

The proposal also would increase the warning statement on signature-gathering petitions from four square inches on the front of the petition sheet to six square inches on the front.

The warning statement on a petition reads: “Every person who signs this petition with any other than his or her true name, knowingly signs more than one of these petitions, signs this petition when he or she is not a legal voter, or makes any false statement on this petition may be punished by fine or imprisonment or both.”

SB 6752 would add these words to that warning statement: “Every person who gathers signatures for this petition is warned that, under chapter 29A.84 RCW, forgery of signatures on this petition constitutes a class C felony, and that offering any consideration or gratuity to any person to induce them to sign a petition is a gross misdemeanor, such violations being punishable by fine or imprisonment or both. Every person who interferes with the signature gathering process is warned that, under RCW 9A.46.020, any conduct constituting harassment against a petition signature gatherer is a gross misdemeanor, such violations being punishable by fine or imprisonment or both. This penalty does not preclude the victim from seeking any other remedy otherwise available under law.”

"Alexis Stuth Act” will receive a public hearing on January 21st

2010-01-20T19:01:00.000-08:00

I've introduced two pieces of legislation regarding child welfare and the Child Protective Services. Both bills will receive a public hearing on Thursday, January 21st at 3:30PM in the Human Services and Corrections Committee in Senate Hearing Room 1.

SB 6416, the Alexis Stuth Act, would give certain grandparents and relatives legal standing in child welfare cases where a parent has been declared unfit to parent the child.

SB 6417 would create a legal presumption that placement with relatives, in dependency cases, is in the best interests of the child.

I introduced this legislation in response to the Stuth case, which received statewide media attention. Doug and Anne Marie Stuth from Enumclaw had essentially raised their granddaughter Alexis until she was taken out of their care and put into foster care by DSHS. The Stuths did not have legal standing to defend themselves or their granddaughter. After months of heartache, Alexis was finally placed back with the Stuths and they have since adopted her.

The Stuth case shows how crucial this legislation is. We must place children with caring relatives first and we must give relatives who have been caring for a child that is stuck in the system a say in any placement decisions.

I have been a strong advocate for accountability in child welfare cases and within the Department of Social and Health Services.

Supporting the Rainier School and Respite Center

2010-01-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

With the help of plateau community leaders, I've presented the legislature with a white paper that outlines a positive, new vision for Rainier School in Buckley. The vision statement of the white sheet states: “Rainier School is the keystone of Washington state residential habilitation centers (RHCs). It is the purpose of our community to build support for the school, its residents, and the community. We need a structured, proactive, and mutually supportive approach to reach the following goals.”

The goals for Rainier School proposed by the community leaders includes utilizing Rainier School for a respite center and adult daycare, providing continued education for students 21 or older, partnering with community organizations and opening dental facilities to qualified DSHS welfare recipients, and utilizing the facilities at Rainier School for the benefit of the community and the residents.

The Governor’s proposed budget calls for closure of Rainier School in 2014. Our community must move forward, together, to prevent closure from happening. The state and community have invested time and money in Rainier School, spending $4.2 million for a state sewer plant. Closing the school would waste these investments along with putting the residents of Rainier school out of the home where many have lived their entire lives and are being cared for by an amazing staff.

Rainier School is a keystone facility among other state institutions and is vital to the economy of our area. Rainier is a self-contained community in Buckley where the residents can live and receive care without the fear of being victimized by unscrupulous individuals or getting lost or hurt because there is no one looking out for them. The facility has a long waiting list to gain admittance. Many of the residents of the Rainier School moved there as children, and have lived most of their lives there. Much of the staff have been there for years, and have formed strong relationships with the residents.

Moving these vulnerable citizens will cause trauma for those who currently thrive. In fact, where similar proposals of forced relocation have been attempted, such as California, the mortality rate of these citizens shot to nearly 67 percent.

Late last year I called plateau leaders together to pro-actively work to support Rainier School. Members of the ad hoc committee include Representative Dan Roach, Representative Chris Hurst, Mayor Pat Johnson of Buckley, Mayor Liz Reynolds of Enumclaw, Shawn Bunney of the Pierce County Council, Tom Dean and Bob Gee with Friends of Rainier, Carole Dottlich WFSE Council 28 President, Sue Hendrickson WFSE Vice President, Matt Zuvich with WFSE, the Enumclaw and Buckley Chambers of Commerce, Judelle Sonneson with SEIU 1199 NW, and myself.

The purpose of our committee to support a new vision for Rainier School is to educate the public on the excellent care Rainier School is giving to our most vulnerable citizens and to take advantage of the amazing resource Rainier School can be to our community and our state.

The legislature will be considering the closure of Rainier School and other Residential Habilitation Centers during the 2010 Legislative Session.

“Light of Day Act” will make government more transparent

2010-01-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

I've introduced legislation that would require state agencies to provide public records to the public at computer terminals. Senate Bill 6529 is called “The Light of Day Act.” It has been referred to the Government Operations and Elections Committee and will receive a public hearing on January 19th at 1:30PM in Senate Hearing Room 2.

Without transparency there can be no accountability in government. An accountable government is an open government. I want citizens to be able to watchdog our government, which is why I've made government accountability a high priority.

Senate Bill 6529 places a pro-active responsibility on government agencies to provide information that is not exempt from disclosure on computer terminals that can be accessed by the public during normal business hours. If an agency does not have the capability to provide such a computer terminal they may partner with other agencies to provide the information.

Getting public information should not be long, complicated, or expensive and it should be readily available. SB 6529 will open the doors that have been closed for too long.

As a member of the Sunshine Committee, I've been a long time advocate of open government and access to public records.