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Tag: gun control

WA 2016 Election: The count goes on

WA 2016 Election: The count goes on

As Washington’s vote tally continues through the week, voters were re-electing most incumbents and siding with Hillary Clinton in her losing White House bid. Before Wednesday’s updates, more than 2 million votes had been counted, better than 48 percent of the record 4.24 million ballots that were sent out last month.  Counties reported receiving 2.7 million ballots by mail or drop box, a 63 percent return rate, as of Election Day, not counting evening drop box pickups. Heavy mail volumes…

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WA minimum wage initiative certified to ballot

WA minimum wage initiative certified to ballot

Initiative 1433, a proposal to increase the state minimum wage, will appear on the fall statewide ballot in Washington, says Secretary of State Kim Wyman. The state Elections Division on Friday completed a random sample of the 345,907 signatures submitted by the initiative backers and determined that the measure easily exceeded the bare minimum of 246,372 valid signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. Wyman said a random sample of over 10,000 signatures showed most were valid. Rejection rate due…

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WA Election crews begin checking initiatives

WA Election crews begin checking initiatives

State election crews have begun checking on voter signatures submitted for four citizen initiatives. First up:  Initiative 1433, a plan to boost the state minimum wage to $13.50 in stages and require employers to provide paid sick leave. The minimum wage currently is $9.47 and rises annually with the CPI under terms of an earlier voter-approved initiative. Secretary of State Kim Wyman said Monday the I-1433 campaign submitted 345,907 signatures, nearly 100,000 more than the bare minimum needed to secure…

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Sponsors turn in signatures for firearms initiative

Sponsors turn in signatures for firearms initiative

I-1491 supporters deliver boxes of signatures to the Elections Division Thursday. About 304,000 signatures for Initiative 1491 were submitted to the state Elections Division office in Olympia Thursday morning, the second of five initiatives expected to be delivered there this week. Friday is the deadline to submit signatures for initiatives to the people filed this year. I-1491 would allow police, family or household members to obtain court orders temporarily preventing firearms access by persons exhibiting mental illness, violent or other…

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Giffords, gun advocates headline hearing on rival gun initiatives

Giffords, gun advocates headline hearing on rival gun initiatives

With her husband, Mark Kelly, by her side, gunshot survivor and former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords testifies before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday. (Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services Photo Department) NRA members, Gabby Giffords  and other survivors of gun violence, archbishops, pastors, rabbis, lobbyists and concerned citizens were among those who testified before the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon on a pair of rival gun-related initiatives to the Legislature. Initiative 594 would require universal background checks on gun purchases…

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Wyman certifies I-594; I-591 check starting soon

Wyman certifies I-594; I-591 check starting soon

Secretary of State Wyman certifies the results of Initiative 594 in her office. (Photo courtesy of Laura Mott) One down, one to go. Soon after our Elections Division’s signature checkers finished reviewing a small sample of Initiative 594 signatures, Secretary of State Kim Wyman officially certified the results of the check Wednesday. I-594 would require universal background checks on gun purchases. Our Elections Division reported that 346,834 signatures were submitted, far over the minimum requirement of 246,372 valid voter signatures….

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I-594 signature check begins

I-594 signature check begins

A checker counts some of the signatures submitted for I-594. (Photo courtesy Lindsay Pryor) Initiative I-594, one of two rival initiatives to the 2014 Legislature dealing with gun control, is now undergoing a signature check. Our Elections Division has a team of signature checkers who began working on Initiative 594 on Thursday. I-594 would require universal background checks on gun purchases in Washington. The initiative would expand on current federal gun laws that apply to licensed dealers but not private…

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I-591 camp turns in sigs; 2014 gun-rights ballot battle looms

I-591 camp turns in sigs; 2014 gun-rights ballot battle looms

I-591 sponsor Alan Gottlieb delivers boxes of signatures to the Elections Division. It’s looking more likely that Washington will be an election battleground state for gun rights in 2014, as backers of a pro-gun initiative submitted what they say are more than 340,000 signatures to our Elections Division Thursday. Initiative 591 prohibits government agencies from confiscating guns or other firearms from citizens without due process, or from requiring background checks on firearm recipients unless a uniform national standard is required….

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Gun-control I-594 sponsors submit first batch of signatures

Gun-control I-594 sponsors submit first batch of signatures

As supporters look on, I-594 sponsor Cheryl Stumbo is interviewed by the media after signatures were delivered to the Elections Division. Sponsors of gun-safety Initiative 594 have turned in an estimated 250,000 signatures to our Elections Division, intending to bring in enough additional signatures by the submission deadline of Jan. 3 to assure validation to the Legislature and possibly the 2014 statewide ballot. I-594, which was filed last June as an initiative to the Legislature, requires universal background checks on…

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I-594 ballot title revised; gun-control group free to collect sigs

I-594 ballot title revised; gun-control group free to collect sigs

I-594 sponsor Cheryl Stumbo Sponsors of an initiative for background checks on gun sales now have a green light to begin collecting signatures for Initiative to the Legislature 594. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Wickham has made some changes to the ballot title, the last step before backers could print petition sheets and begin gathering voter signatures for the 2014 Legislature and/or the 2014 general election ballot. The Attorney General’s Office, which drafted the original version, said the new…

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