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Category: Initiatives

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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Washington 2013 votes are tallied

Washington 2013 votes are tallied

Washington voters were rejecting both statewide initiatives on the 2013 ballot, the nationally-watched I-522 dealing with GMO labeling on some food products and I-517 dealing with additional rights for initiative signature-gatherers.  Seattle voters also chose their first openly gay mayor, Senate Democratic Leader Ed Murray, and voters in SeaTac adopted the country’s first $15-an-hour mandatory minimum wage. Three special state Senate races were on the ballot. In the 26th, Republican Jan Angel had a small lead over appointed Democratic Sen….

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FAQs about those tax advisory votes

FAQs about those tax advisory votes

We’re getting lots of questions about a relatively new form of ballot measure in Washington state — the statewide tax advisory vote.   Here are some FAQs to help shed some light: Q. What are these Advisory Votes 3 through 7 that I see in my Voters’ Pamphlet? A.  These are nonbinding measures that let voters say whether they think the Legislature should “repeal” or “maintain” revenue-generating bills that lawmakers passed this year.  The Legislature used the $200 million from these…

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WA 2013 election underway this week

WA 2013 election underway this week

Washington’s general Election Day used to be just that, a single day in November.  Today, it’s an election season of nearly three weeks — and the 2013 edition gets underway this week. Starting Wednesday, Oct. 16, ballots are being mailed to over 3.9 million registered voters — a near-record.  Voters may fill out their ballots right away or hold off awhile. Although election officials recommend returning ballots promptly, the voter does face a Nov. 5 deadline to have their ballot…

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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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No initiative to the people will be on ballot this fall

No initiative to the people will be on ballot this fall

For the first year since 1989, an initiative to the people won’t be placed before Washington voters. Friday, July 5, is the deadline for initiative sponsors to submit signatures to our Elections Division. However, an Elections staffer says she expects no initiative sponsors to turn in signatures by the deadline. The sponsor for I-1307, the Washington State Firearms Freedom Act , had told the Elections staff that he planned to bring in several hundred signatures Friday afternoon, but he changed…

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Gun-control advocates file initiative to Legislature

Gun-control advocates file initiative to Legislature

Paul Benz and Cheryl Stumbo talk to the media after filing their initiative to the Legislature. Continuing the debate that began in the Legislature after the Newtown shootings, gun-control advocates have filed an initiative to the Legislature to require universal background checks on gun purchases. The measure was filed with the Secretary of State on Tuesday by Faith Action Network, including Cheryl Stumbo, who was gravely wounded by a gunman at the Seattle Jewish Center, and Paul Benz, a longtime…

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Eyman files ‘Super Bowl’ of anti-tax initiatives

Eyman files ‘Super Bowl’ of anti-tax initiatives

UPDATE: Note that last paragraph recasts the original language… Initiative activist Tim Eyman has filed what he called the “Super Bowl” version of his long line of ballot propositions aimed at blocking taxes and requiring a supermajority to pass tax hikes in Olympia. It will have to be a hurry-up offense for Eyman, since there is little more than two months before his July 5 deadline to submit well over 300,000 petition signatures to secure a place on the fall…

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Long battle for Top 2 Primary officially over

Long battle for Top 2 Primary officially over

(Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services, Photo Department) It was a quiet, noncontroversial ending to a 12-year legal, legislative and ballot-box battle to preserve a wide-open primary system for Washington voters. The fight had involved the political parties, the highest court in the land, and even a detour through California. Gov. Jay Inslee signed Senate Bill 5518 to clear the state law books of all references to the much-maligned Pick-a-Party system that voters were required to use in 2004 through…

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