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WA election: The count continues

WA election: The count continues

“Election Day” is history now, but in Washington, it’s just the beginning.  The count goes on … and on. The Election Night report from our 39 counties showed us a great snapshot — about 60 percent of the 2.4 million expected ballots were tallied.  The rest, either still in the mail or in the courthouses  awaiting the time-consuming process of scrutinizing each ballot, will be added over the coming days.  Most counties will be adding freshly processed ballots daily, and…

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Big bucks: New report shows $20m for initiatives

Big bucks: New report shows $20m for initiatives

The Washington Public Disclosure Commission reports that state initiative efforts have drawn over $20 million in contributions.  This includes the $10 million raised by Stop the Food & Beverage Tax Hikes, promoters of Initiative 1107, which would roll back recently adopted taxes on pop, bottled water, and candy.  Most of the money and in-kind contributions came from the American Beverage Association. The commission said Washington Citizens for Liquor Reform, backers of I-1105, brought in $2 million from two sources.  This…

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`Direct democracy’ — A six-pack for 2010

`Direct democracy’ — A six-pack for 2010

It’s a bumper crop of initiatives apparently headed to the fall ballot.  On Friday, the deadline day for submitting petitions, three more campaigns brought in hundreds of thousands of signatures. This brought to six the number of initiatives to the people for the year, tying the modern record set in 2000. The all-time record was the seven on the 1914 ballot, almost a century ago, the first year we could use the initiative and referendum process. Sponsors of two anti-tax…

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Income tax on the wealthy?

Income tax on the wealthy?

As Washington’s initiative turn-in deadline looms Friday afternoon, Bill Gates Sr. and dozens of other income-tax advocates have turned in what they estimate at 360,000-370,000 Initiative 1098  signatures, and say they’ll add more late-arriving petitions before the doors close on Friday. The measure would impose an income tax on high wage-earners, while reducing the state share of the property tax and eliminating the business tax on many small businesses.  State voters have rejected income tax measures in recent decades, but…

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