Proposed constitutional amendments get mixed reaction

By David Ammons

Associated Press

OLYMPIA – Voters were giving a mixed reaction to a pair of proposed constitutional amendments in early tallies tonight, favoring more flexibility for Superior Court staffing, but rejecting a plan for investing more state funds on Wall Street.

Both proposals passed the Legislature by near-unanimous majorities earlier this year, but were eclipsed during the campaign by better publicized citizen initiatives.

With 3 percent of the precincts reporting, the vote was 67 percent to 33 percent in favor of Senate Joint Resolution 8208, a plan to allow overburdened superior courts to bring in elected judges from other courts, including district, appeals and Supreme Court jurists, to hear cases.

The other measure, House Joint Resolution 4204, to allow the Legislature to authorize the state Investment Board to invest more state funds in stocks and bonds, trailed 63 percent to 37 percent.

The court measure was part of a reform package advocated by Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry Alexander and the state Bar Association. Backers said the “portability” change would ease some of the logjams, particularly for civil trials. Speedy trial rules give criminal cases precedence, sometimes leading to delays of a year or two for those with civil cases.

The constitutional change would allow courts to relieve congestion without additional salary cost or courtroom construction, sponsors said.

The presiding superior court judge would screen the fill-in judges to make sure they have the background and skills to handle felony cases.

Foes said they opposed requiring people to have their cases heard by judges who were not elected to that particular jurisdiction. That circumvents a key means of accountability, they said.

The investment measure was designed to expand the options for investing more public funds, including stocks and real estate. This already is the case for public pension funds and most other state accounts, but an estimated 3 percent of the board’s portfolio must be invested in a more risk-free fashion.

Backers said taxpayers deserve to get the largest rate of return possible within prudent investment standards. The board has a record of wise investments and could handle the new assignment well, proponents said.

The constitution has been amended three times by the Legislature and the people to add more pots of money to the investment pool. In 1968, pension funds were allowed to invest on Wall Street. In 1985, the industrial insurance trust fund was added and last year, trust funds for the developmentally disabled were included.

However, voters previously rejected a plan to allow the state’s reserve fund to be invested in stocks.

Opponents of the latest measure said it involves too much risk.

“If citizens want risk, they can buy a lottery ticket,” foes said in the Voters Pamphlet.

Backers, though, said the measure simply gives the board the same flexibility it already has for 97 percent of the funds it manages.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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