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WASHINGTON CONSTITUTION Acknowledgment of God Preamble.
We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to the
Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this constitution.
Religion Clauses Article I, 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 adminstered.
Article
I, 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, or by a county's
or public hospital district's hospital, health care facility, or hospice, 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.
Article X, section
6. No person or persons, having conscientious scruples against
bearing arms, shall be compelled to do militia duty in time of peace: Provided,
such person or persons shall pay an equivalent for such exemption.
Education
Article IX, section 1. It is the paramount
duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing
within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color,
caste, or sex.
Article IX, section 4. All
schools maintained or supported wholly or in part by the public funds shall be
forever free from sectarian control or influence.
Finance/Property
Tax Article VII, section 1. The power of taxation
shall never be suspended, surrendered or contracted away. All taxes shall be uniform
upon the same class of property within the territorial limits of the authority
levying the tax and shall be levied and collected for public purposes only. The
word "property" as used herein shall mean and include everything, whether tangible
or intangible, subject to ownership. All real estate shall constitute one class:
Provided, That the legislature may tax mines and mineral resources and lands devoted
to reforestation by either a yield tax or an ad valorem tax at such rate as it
may fix, or by both. Such property as the legislature may by general laws provide
shall be exempt from taxation. Property of the United States and of the state,
counties, school districts and other municipal corporations, and credits secured
by property actually taxed in this state, not exceeding in value the value of
such property, shall be exempt from taxation. The legislature shall have power,
by appropriate legislation, to exempt personal property to the amount of three
thousand ($3,000.00) dollars for each head of a family liable to assessment and
taxation under the provisions of the laws of this state of which the individual
is the actual bona fide owner.
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Copyright
© 2002-2008 by Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLP. All rights reserved.
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