Ruckelshaus Center outlines plan for statewide citizens assembly to advise legislature

Dr. Julia Carboni of the Ruckelshaus Center told the Joint Select Committee on Civic Health that a citizens assembly would use sortition to create a demographically representative panel and would be charged with producing an advisory report to the legislature.

Carboni explained key design elements: selection by lottery from registered voters or adult Washingtonians with stratified sampling to ensure representation from all 39 counties, in-person deliberations supported by diverse expert information, and allowances for minority reports alongside majority recommendations. "A citizens assembly is different in that it's a representative group of, randomly chosen people," Carboni said as she described international and U.S. examples, including Ireland and a Snohomish County pilot on AI.

She proposed a two-step timeline: a design workshop with FIDE North America late this year or early next year, followed by a launch in spring 2027 with deliberations after the legislative session and a report to the legislature in fall 2027. Carboni emphasized the assembly would be advisory and that initial funding was expected from philanthropic partners: "We're not asking for money," she told the committee, saying philanthropic seed funding could cover a pilot stage.