Secretary Reed is in Spokane this week for the annual Elections Conference and other meetings while in the “Lilac City.” On Tuesday, he visited Lewis & Clark High School, where he presented Principal Shawn Jordan with a certificate touting the school’s centennial. Reed also spoke to a history class while visiting the high school. Earlier in the day, Reed spoke to the Downtown Spokane Kiwanis Club.
He’s one of the most famous Native Americans in Washington history, and an instrumental figure in the long and sometimes bitter battle over Indian fishing rights. A new and privately funded book about the life of Nisqually tribal leader Billy Frank Jr. is officially being launched Saturday afternoon in Olympia. The book is entitled “Where the Salmon Runs: The Life and Legacy of Billy Frank Jr.” The book launch is from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at The Evergreen State College…
Photo courtesy of Dyan Boling In Olympia during winter, we are rarely privy to the sunsets and sunrises that more arid climates often enjoy. Which is why this spectacular sunrise recently was particularly welcome to us, especially amidst the busyness of the legislative session. It is already a privilege to work in state government, but driving to work with this kind of scenery made the experience quite thrilling. Have you traveled anywhere recently around our beautiful state and taken any…
John C. Hughes and former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton sign copies of the book that Hughes recently wrote about the longtime statesman. Former state Attorney General and U.S. Senator Slade Gorton was the featured guest at a forum and book signing Thursday in the Legislative Building’s State Reception Room. More than 50 attendees heard Gorton speak about his enduring and prominent career in state and national politics. Gorton is the subject of a recent biography entitled “Slade Gorton A Half-Century…
It’s a rare occasion when most, if not all, of Washington’s statewide elected officials are in the same room. The Governor’s State of the State speech Tuesday morning offered such an opportunity. Moments before they entered the House Chambers to attend Governor Gregoire’s annual address to the Legislature, all of the “Statewides” except the guv and Lt. Gov. Owen (who was presiding over the joint legislative session) gathered in the State Reception Room for a photo. From left to right:…
Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed a $2 billion all-cuts rewrite of the ailing state budget, along with a plan to ask the voters to OK a three-year state sales tax hike of a half-cent to head off some of the cuts. The Democratic governor said the Legislature already has slashed the state budget by $10 billion in the past three years, “shredding” the state safety net and whacking K-12, higher education and other areas. She said her latest list of…
The fall colors of the deciduous trees in Olympia have been slow to turn this year, giving us the opportunity to enjoy the changing colors of autumn for quite some time. Our Capitol Campus looks quite grand on this recent morning, as the unusually bright blue sky makes the fall colors particularly bold. Photo courtesy of Benjamin Helle, Washington State Archives.
On the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, 10 soldiers from the U.S. Army Reserves’ 448th Civil Affairs Battalion helped fly 75 American flags and 10 Washington flags above the State Capitol Sunday. These flags flown above the Capitol are for sale. The U.S. flags are as follows: 3’ x 5’ is $14 plus tax, 4’ x 6’ is $18 plus tax, and 5’ x 8’ is $34 plus tax. The 3’ x 5’ Washington State flag is…
Secretary of State Sam Reed, who has made government transparency and access to public records a signature issue during his three terms, has been ann0unced as the 2011 winner of the James Madison Award of the Washington Coalition for Open Government. The award honors Reed’s “appreciation for, and dedication to, the cause of open government since taking office,” including advocacy of accessible and accountable government, preserving and displaying public records, battling successfully in the Supreme Court to defend the public’s…
It’s Flag Day. It doesn’t receive as much attention as Independence Day, but it’s a holiday that prompts proud Americans and government buildings to display their U.S. flags. The photo above shows a flag along Capitol Way in Olympia, on the Capitol Campus. So how did June 14 become Flag Day? The “Stars and Stripes” originated as a result of a resolution offered by the Marine Committee of the Second Continental Congress at Philadelphia and adopted on June 14, 1777….