The Washington State Archives will display the Constitution of the State of Washington outside of the House Chambers in the Legislative Building on Sid Snyder Avenue in Olympia on Thursday, Jan. 16, …
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The Washington State Archives will display the Constitution of the State of Washington outside of the House Chambers in the Legislative Building on Sid Snyder Avenue in Olympia on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Representatives from the Washington State Archives will be on hand to answer questions. The Washington State Patrol will escort the state Constitution from the archives, remain with it at the capitol and then escort it back to the vault.
“It is important for Washington residents to be able to see how our state’s government got its start more than 135 years ago,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs stated in a news release. “The constitution is the basis for every aspect of how our state is run today. Its impact on our foundation and our history should be recognized and cherished by our state’s citizens.”
The House Journal, a record of activity in the territorial House of Representatives from 1854 to 1857, will first be on display in the House chamber press table during session Thursday morning starting at 10 a.m.
Outreach archivist for the Washington State Archives Benjamin Helle will then answer questions about it from legislators and their staff. The public can view those proceedings from the gallery. Then, Helle will prepare the Constitution for the display starting at 12:30 p.m.
“Since it was deposited in the state archives, our state Constitution has been housed in a fire-proof safe inside a climate-controlled vault,” Helle said. “Our state constitution is always available to the public, even for those who cannot make it to Olympia, through the Washington State Digital Archives.”
While on display, the document will be protected by a special glass case and guarded at all times.
For more information regarding the Washington state constitution, visit https://www2.sos.wa.gov/archives/state-constitution.aspx.
To view the constitution, visit https://www2.sos.wa.gov/_assets/legacy/1878constitution.pdf.