Among the ballot measures voters are considering this fall are two good proposals that haven’t gotten much notice.
Both are amendments — rational updates, really — to the state Constitution, which require voter approval after having gotten the requisite two-thirds approval in each chamber of the Legislature.
One, SHJR 4215, would end an outdated prohibition against investing permanent funds for higher education in private stocks and bonds. The other, SJR 8212, would allow the state to contract with private firms to operate inmate labor programs.
SHJR 4215: The state manages a number of “permanent” funds for its higher education institutions. They’re funded by the sale and lease of land that was set aside when Washington became a state, and the earnings pay for construction and maintenance of buildings at the state’s four-year institutions. Trouble is, the types of investments allowed are limited to relatively low-yielding government securities. Previous amendments have opened other funds, like those for K-12 schools, to a broader range of investments — making greater returns possible — and this would bring higher education into line with them.
The state investment board would still oversee the funds, and develop a diversified portfolio that’s at least as safe as the average worker’s 401(k) account, but will likely raise more money for the state’s five universities and The Evergreen State College. This is an easy “yes” vote.
SJR 8212: This measure would allow the state to re-establish partnerships with private firms to provide work programs for state prison inmates, like those in Monroe. Such programs, which had been run successfully for 20 years and were supported by organized labor and the business community, were ruled unconstitutional in 2004 under an archaic constitutional clause that prohibits private contracting for inmate labor. SJR 8212 lifts that prohibition.
Inmate labor programs are a constructive and effective strategy for successfully integrating former prisoners back into society after they’ve served their time. They help develop the skills needed to compete in the job market and build a productive life.
A provision of SJR 8212 requires the state to prevent inmate labor programs from creating unfair competition to other workers. It doesn’t spell out how, but we think that’s something the courts can guide sufficiently if necessary.
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