Sen. Pam Roach’s measure to extend political contribution limits to candidates for public hospital district boards was signed Monday by Gov. Jay Inslee.
“This is a victory for citizens who reside in public hospital districts such as King County Public Hospital District No. 1, which operates Valley Medical Center,” said Roach (R-rural Auburn). “Recent commission races have seen large contributions from single sources that have over-powered the campaigns.”
“All elected positions in state, county and local government have campaign-finance limitations except for local hospital commissioners,” Roach added. “There is no reason that candidates for public hospital district boards of commissioners should not live under the same rules as other elected officials. This bill corrects that problem.”
SB 5748 limits contributions for commission candidates in public hospital districts with populations of more than 100,000. Washington has three hospital districts that fall into this category – two in King County and one in Snohomish County.
Roach said she will introduce legislation next year to cover hospital districts of all sizes.
Roach became concerned about ethical issues relating to public hospital districts, when, in 2006, voters overwhelmingly rejected a King County Public Hospital District No. 1 attempt to annex areas including Maple Valley, Black Diamond and part of Enumclaw. Following the campaign, Valley Medical Center’s chief executive officer Rich Roodman was fined $120,000 by the state’s Public Disclosure Commission for campaign violations in the 2006 annexation election and a 2005 property tax increase election, which passed.
Since then, Roach has worked to make public hospital districts more transparent.
“Public hospital districts play an important role in the lives of our citizens,” said Roach. “It is essential that these government entities be open, honest and responsive to the public. Holding public hospital board members to the same campaign contribution limits as other officials is a good step in the right direction.”
The bill passed with strong bipartisan support. The law it created takes effect Aug. 20.
