WASHINGTON STATUTES AND CODES

41.06.250 - Political activities.

Political activities.

(1) Solicitation for or payment to any partisan, political organization or for any partisan, political purpose of any compulsory assessment or involuntary contribution is prohibited: PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That officers of employee associations shall not be prohibited from soliciting dues or contributions from members of their associations. No person shall solicit on state property or property of a political subdivision of this state any contribution to be used for partisan, political purposes.

     (2) Employees of the state or any political subdivision thereof shall have the right to vote and to express their opinions on all political subjects and candidates and to hold any political party office or participate in the management of a partisan, political campaign. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an employee of the state or any political subdivision thereof from participating fully in campaigns relating to constitutional amendments, referendums, initiatives, and issues of a similar character, and for nonpartisan offices.

     (3) A classified civil service employee shall not hold a part time public office in a political subdivision of the state when the holding of such office is incompatible with, or substantially interferes with, the discharge of official duties in state employment.

     (4) For persons employed in state agencies or agencies of any political subdivision of the state the operation of which is financed in total or primarily by federal grant-in-aid funds political activity will be regulated by the rules and regulations of the United States civil service commission.

     (5) The provisions of this section shall supersede all statutes, charter provisions, ordinances, resolutions, regulations, and requirements promulgated by the state or any subdivision thereof, including any provision of any county charter, insofar as they may be in conflict with the provisions of this section.

[1974 ex.s. c 136 § 1; 1961 c 1 § 25 (Initiative Measure No. 207, approved November 8, 1960).]