Bill moves state ethics boards to PDC

A new proposal is in the works to tinker with the state’s ethics boards this year, merging both the Executive Ethics and Legislative Ethics boards into the Public Disclosure Commission that already deals with campaign finance.

A similar proposal targeting only the Executive Ethics Board – which enforces the state Ethics in Public Service Act against state agency employees and elected officials – died last year.

The new bill is offered by Rep. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia, and Rep. Zack Hudgins, D-Tukwila. It is part of a larger package of measures meant to realign state government services and save money.

Hudgins said his broader look includes 44 different criminal justice functions – including the state law library – in 17 agencies. “Hopefully, some of them will save money,” Hudgins said Monday.

House Bill 2402, which puts the ethics investigation and enforcement jobs at the PDC, is scheduled for a 10 a.m. hearing on Thursday in the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee, which Hunt chairs.

The Attorney General’s Office protested the transfer of the Executive Ethics functions out from under its arm last year. The Legislative Ethics Board is under the House and Senate.

Other reform bills in the works:

 • House Bill 2398 transfers the state library from the Office of the Secretary of State to the University of Washington.

 • HB 2399 transfers the Washington state Law Library from the state Supreme Court to the UW.

 • HB 2396 addresses flaws Hunt and Hudgins see in last year’s merger of five agencies into three. That merger, Senate Bill 5931, created two new agencies, the Department of Enterprise Services and Consolidated Technology Services, and opened the door to taking away collective bargaining rights from some 200 workers who had them under the now-defunct Department of Information Services.

“Our goal was to have about 30 people” exempt, said Hunt, who blamed last year’s broader wording on a misinterpretation and “mess-up” at the session’s close when the merger bill was being pushed through as one piece of a larger budget agreement. Does HB 2396 stand a chance? “It stands a chance in the House. I’m not sure in the Senate,’’ Hunt said.

Another reform would saddle out-of-state users of State Library services with new fees. HB 2222 is sponsored by Democratic Rep. Mary Helen Roberts of Lynnwood and Republican Rep. Maureen Walsh of Walla Walla.

The State Library, housed in Tumwater since it was moved under the umbrella of the Secretary of State’s office, is meant to be a government-research library but about 70 percent of its genealogy requests come from out of state and 42 percent of governmental and historical requests are from out of state.

HB 2222 got a hearing Monday, and acting state librarian Rand Simmons testified in favor of helping the state recoup its research costs – by an estimated $44,535 in the biennium.

A fiscal analysis submitted to the Legislature by the library says that a $10 fee for out-of-state genealogy requests could cover the estimated $7.50 cost of filling requests plus extra for overhead. It also would reduce the number of requests and let the state recoup $30,790 a year.

A $15 fee for historical requests could save another $4,838 per year.

Hudgins, who is also a candidate for secretary of state, said more ideas are expected from other lawmakers, and he doesn’t know which ones are going to get the most traction. But he is looking for new ways to align government more efficiently.

Gov. Chris Gregoire’s chief lobbyist could not be reached immediately to comment on the proposals. Gregoire authored the major agency merger last year and has been on a years-long campaign to eliminate boards and commissions.

Brad Shannon: 360-753-1688 bshannon@theolympian.com www.theolympian.com/politicsblog