The Governor Calls the Legislature Back to Get Rid of an Insurance Commissioner
Olympia convenes in extraordinary session to hear the investigating committee's report on Commissioner Schively — and cannot agree on whether to impeach him or simply abolish his office out from under him.
Olympia, June 23. — The legislature assembled in extraordinary session today, called by Gov. Hay to receive the report of the investigating committee appointed at the last regular session. A wide variety of opinion prevails as to the duration of the session.
While the chief purpose in calling the special session is presumed to be the removal of Insurance Commissioner Schively, all sorts of proposals are in the air, and the session may become involved in general legislation not connected with the investigation. The general expression of opinion among members is against taking up matters of general legislation, but this disposition may vanish when the members find themselves divided upon questions relating to the investigation and lacking in opportunity to trade votes on the main issue for votes on other measures of general or special importance.
Two plans have been suggested for ousting Schively in case the report of the investigating committee seems to justify his removal. First, by impeachment, which would necessitate the presentation of charges by the house and a formal trial by the senate. Second, by enacting a law abolishing the office. In case the latter plan is followed it is likely the office of insurance commissioner would be recreated by another law, either as an office to be filled by executive appointment or a branch of some other office.
“Two plans have been suggested for ousting Schively in case the report of the investigating committee seems to justify his removal.”
Washington has been arguing about how to remove a bad statewide official since 1909, and the two options on the table then are still the two on the table now: charges and a trial, or legislate the office out of existence. The detail that gives the story away is the talk of trading votes — a special session called for one purpose, immediately at risk of becoming a horse market. Washington's insurance commissioner is still an independently elected statewide office, which is exactly why the fight over who answers for it remains recognizable.
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