                              CONSTITUTION
                                 OF THE
                           STATE OF WASHINGTON

                                PREAMBLE

   We,  the people of the State of Washington,  grateful to the Supreme Ruler
of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.

                                ARTICLE I

                          DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

   Section  1.    All  political  power  is  inherent  in  the  people,   and
governments  derive their just powers from the consent of the  governed,  and
are established to protect and maintain individual rights.

   Section  2.    The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of
the land.

   Section 3.    No person shall be deprived of life,  liberty,  or property,
without due process of law.

   Section 4.   The right of petition and of the people peaceably to assemble
for the common good shall never be abridged.

   Section  5.    Every  person may freely speak,  write and publish  on  all
subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right.

   Section 6.   The mode of administering an oath,  or affirmation,  shall be
such  as  may be most consistent with and binding upon the conscience of  the
person to whom such oath, or affirmation, may be administered.

   Section 7.    No person shall be disturbed in his private affairs,  or his
home invaded, without authority of law.

   Section  8.    No  law granting irrevocably any  privilege,  franchise  or
immunity, shall be passed by the Legislature.

   Section  9.    No  person shall be compelled in any criminal case to  give
evidence against himself, or be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense.

   Section  10.   Justice  in  all cases shall be  administered  openly,  and
without unnecessary delay.

   Section  11.   Absolute freedom of conscience in all matters of  religious
sentiment, belief and worship,  shall be guaranteed to every individual,  and
no  one  shall be molested or disturbed in person or property on  account  of
religion;  but  the  liberty  of conscience hereby secured shall  not  be  so
construed   as  to  excuse  acts  of  licentiousness  or  justify   practices
inconsistent  with  the  peace and safety of the state.  No public  money  or
property  shall  be  appropriated for or applied to  any  religious  worship,
exercise  or  instruction,  or  the support of any  religious  establishment:
Provided,  however,  That this article shall not be so construed as to forbid
the  employment  by the state of a chaplain for such of the state  custodial,
correctional  and mental institutions as in the discretion of the Legislature
may  seem  justified.  No religious qualification shall be required  for  any
public office or employment, nor shall any person be incompetent as a witness
or  juror,  in  consequence  of his opinion on matters of  religion,  nor  be
questioned  in  any court of justice touching his religious belief to  affect
the weight of his testimony.

   Section  12.   No  law shall be passed granting to any citizen,  class  of
citizens, or corporation other than municipal, privileges or immunities which
upon   the  same  terms  shall  not  equally  belong  to  all  citizens,   or
corporations.

   Section  13.   The  privilege  of the writ of habeas corpus shall  not  be
suspended, unless in case of rebellion or invasion the public safety requires
it.

   Section  14.   Excessive  bail  shall not  be  required,  excessive  fines
imposed, nor cruel punishment inflicted.

   Section 15.  No conviction shall work corruption of blood,  nor forfeiture
of estate.

   Section 16.   Private property shall not be taken for private use,  except
for  private  ways of necessity,  and for drains,  flumes,  or ditches on  or
across the lands of others for agricultural, domestic,  or sanitary purposes.
No  private  property  shall be taken or damaged for public  or  private  use
without just compensation having been first made,  or paid into court for the
owner,  and  no  right-of-way  shall  be  appropriated  to  the  use  of  any
corporation  other  than municipal until full compensation therefor be  first
made in money, or ascertained and paid into court for the owner, irrespective
of  any  benefit  from any improvement proposed by  such  corporation,  which
compensation shall be ascertained by a jury,  unless a jury be waived,  as in
other  civil  cases  in courts of record,  in the manner prescribed  by  law.
Whenever  an attempt is made to take private property for a use alleged to be
public, the question whether the contemplated use be really public shall be a
judicial question, and determined as such,  without regard to ant Legislative
assertion  that  the  use is public:  Provided,  That the taking  of  private
property  by the state for land reclamation and settlement purposes is hereby
declared to be for public use.

   Section 17.   There shall be no imprisonment for debt,  except in cases of
absconding debtors.

   Section  18.   The military shall be in strict subordination to the  civil
power.

   Section 19.  All elections shall be free and equal, and no power, civil or
military,  shall  at  any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of  the
right of suffrage.

   Section  20.   All  persons  charged  with  crime  shall  be  bailable  by
sufficient  sureties,  except for capital offenses when the proof is evident,
or the presumption great.

   Section  21.   The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate,  but the
legislature  may provide for a jury of any number less than twelve in  courts
not of record, and for a verdict by nine or more jurors in civil cases in any
court of record, and for waiving of the jury in civil cases where the consent
of the parties interested is given thereto.

Section  22.   In  criminal prosecutions the accused shall have the right  to
appear and defend in person, or by counsel, to demand the nature and cause of
the  accusation against him,  to have a copy thereof,  to testify in his  own
behalf,  to  meet the witnesses against him face to face,  to have compulsory
process  to compel the attendance of witnesses in his own behalf,  to have  a
speedy  public trial by an impartial jury of the county in which the  offense
is  charged  to  have been committed and the right to appeal  in  all  cases:
Provided,  the  route  traversed  by  any railroad  coach,  train  or  public
conveyance,  and the water traversed by any boat shall be criminal districts;
and  the  jurisdiction of all public offenses committed on any such  railroad
car,  coach,  train,  boat  or other public conveyance,  or at any station or
depot  upon  such route,  shall be in any county through which the said  car,
coach,  train,  boat  or other public conveyance may pass during the trip  or
voyage, or in which the trip or voyage may begin or terminate. In no instance
shall any accused person before final judgement be compelled to advance money
or fees to secure the rights herein guaranteed.

   Section 23.  No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the
obligations of contracts shall ever be passed.

   Section  24.   The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense
of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired,  but nothing in this section
shall  be  construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to  organize,
maintain or employ an armed body of men.

   Section  25.   Offenses heretofore required to be prosecuted by indictment
may be prosecuted by information, or by indictment, as shall be prescribed by
law.

   Section  26.   No  grand  jury shall be drawn or summoned in  any  county,
except the superior judge thereof shall so order.

   Section  27.   Treason against the state shall consist only in levying war
against  the  state,  or adhering to its enemies,  or in giving them aid  and
comfort.  No  person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of
two witnesses to the same overt act, or confession in open court.

   Section  28.  No hereditary emoluments,  privileges,  or powers,  shall be
granted or conferred in this state.

   Section 29.  The provisions of this Constitution are mandatory,  unless by
express words they are declared to be otherwise.

   Section  30.  The enumeration in this Constitution of certain rights shall
not be construed to deny others retained by the people.

   Section  31.  No  standing army shall be kept up by this state in time  of
peace,  and  no  soldier  shall in time of peace be quartered  in  any  house
without  the  consent of the owner,  nor in time of war except in the  manner
prescribed by law.

   Section  32.  A frequent recurrence to fundamental principles is essential
to the security of individual right and the perpetuity of free government.

   Section  33.  Every  elective  public officer of the state  of  Washington
expect [except] judges of courts of record is subject to recall and discharge
by  the  legal voters of the state,  or of the political subdivision  of  the
state,  from  which he was elected whenever a petition demanding his  recall,
reciting  that such officer has committed some act or acts of malfeasance  or
misfeasance while in office, or who has violated his oath of office,  stating
the  matters  complained  of,  signed  by the percentages  of  the  qualified
electors  thereof,  hereinafter  provided,  the  percentage  required  to  be
computed  from the total number of votes cast for all candidates for his said
office  to which he was elected at the preceding election,  is filed with the
officer  with whom a petition for nomination,  or certificate for nomination,
to  such  office  must be filed under the laws of this state,  and  the  same
officer  shall  call a special election as provided by the  general  election
laws of this state, and the result determined as therein provided.

   Section 34. The Legislature shall pass the necessary laws to carry out the
provisions  of section thirty-three (33)  of this article,  and to facilitate
its operation and effect without delay:  Provided,  That the authority hereby
conferred  upon  the  Legislature  shall not be construed  to  grant  to  the
Legislature  any  exclusive  power  of law making nor in any  way  limit  the
initiative  and  referendum powers reserved by the  people.  The  percentages
required  shall  be,  state  officers of cities of the  first  class,  school
district boards in cities of the first class;  county officers of counties of
the  first,  second and third classes,  twenty-five percent.  Officers of all
other political subdivisions, cities, towns, townships,  precincts and school
districts  not  herein  mentioned,  and state senators  and  Representatives,
thirty-five percent.
