SJR 8208 would amend the State Constitution to allow superior courts to bring in other elected judges to hear cases on a temporary basis. This amendment would allow superior court to bring in elected Washington judges from other court levels to hear cases on a temporary basis, subject to certain restrictions, as implemented by supreme court rules. In many counties of the state there is a shortage of superior court judges. It sometimes happens that civil cases must be postponed while criminal cases are tried. Given the court congestion that many superior courts are experiencing throughout the state, the Board of Judicial Administration is recommending that the current restrictions on the use of pro tempore judges be made more flexible. Greater use of pro tempore judges will reduce congestion and help to alleviate the need for authorizing additional full-time elected judges in the superior courts.

This would reauthorize the existing property tax levy to provide emergency response (911) service in King County for a period of six years.

The amendment would duplicate Article I Section 11 of the Washington State Constitution, which guarantees the free exercise of religion, by placing similar language in the King County Home Rule Charter, adopted by voters in 1968. As are all county charters, the King County Charter is subject to all of the provisions of the state Constitution and this amendment would add no new rights nor remove any existing rights. Since the Charter was first written no Charter Review Commission has ever proposed a religious freedom amendment.

The proposed amendment was not initiated by the usual procedure for proposing charter amendments. Because of the way the amendment came about, it seems to some that it is, in reality, a land-use issue. The amendment grew out of the council’s long, divisive debate over proposals earlier this year to limit the size of churches in rural areas, outside the urban growth boundary. Proponents seem to be seeking political influence for future church/ land-use disputes in rural areas. This amendment will not result in any change in existing or future county policies - it is an unneeded addition to the Charter.