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Category: Initiatives

Charter school fans file statewide initiative

Charter school fans file statewide initiative

Supporters of public charter schools have filed an 11th-hour initiative bid to authorize up to 40 charters over the next five years, to be operated by “qualified nonprofit organizations approved by the state.”  Sponsor is Tania de Sa Campos of Seattle, with the League of Education Voters, part of a coalition backing the plan. The text and contact information are here: Submitted date: 5/22/2012 1:56 PM Public Contact Information: 2734 Westlake Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 [email protected] View Complete Text…

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And they’re off and running!

And they’re off and running!

Washington’s campaign season is officially under way. Filing Week opened with a bang Monday with hundreds of candidates statewide filing for office.  There are 344 state offices open this year, along with potentially thousands of party precinct committee officer slots. Besides the presidential election and a U.S. Senate race, the state has an unusually rich assortment of open offices this year that are sure to attract heavy attention this week, says Secretary of State Sam Reed.  Reed himself is an…

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Centennial celebration: WA initiative process turns 100 in 2012

Centennial celebration: WA initiative process turns 100 in 2012

Secretary Reed draws a smile out of Tim Eyman Secretary of State Sam Reed and the Foley Institute at Washington State University teamed up Friday for a centennial celebration of Washington’s initiative process being approved by the voters. Panelists described the historic sweep of a hundred years of  “direct democracy” being used to pass some of the state’s landmark pieces of legislation — and talked about the growing expense of qualifying for the ballot, the rising role of well-heeled interests,…

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Marijuana Initiative 502 certified to Legislature/ballot

Marijuana Initiative 502 certified to Legislature/ballot

Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed’s office has certified Initiative to the Legislature 502, decriminalizing marijuana and regulating it and taxing it much like liquor.  Sponsors submitted enough signatures to assure consideration by the Legislature and, failing success there, a statewide vote on the General Election ballot. A signature-check by the State Elections Division, using a random sample, determined that sponsors had nearly 278,000 valid signatures, easily enough to cover the minimum 241,153 required. The measure was provisionally certified to…

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Citizen initiative process now open for business

Citizen initiative process now open for business

Getting a jump on the Monday convening of the Washington Legislature, the citizen initiative process for 2012 got underway on Friday. Initiative activist Tim Eyman filed five measures, dealing with $30 car tabs, traffic cameras, supermajority for taxes, the initiative process and creation of an office of inspector general to investigate fraud. Typically, Eyman submits a number of proposals and drafts and decides later which one(s) to pursue with a full initiative signature drive. Sponsors of a “safe cannabis act”…

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Marijuana measure petitions roll in

Marijuana measure petitions roll in

I-502 co-sponsor Salvador Mungia addresses the media while pro-502 campaign director Alison Holcomb (left) and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (middle) listen. I-502 opponents hold signs in the background. Sponsors of a marijuana initiative delivered what they say are roughly 341,000 signatures to our Elections Division, much more than a token effort. The initiative campaign plans to bring in 10,000 more signatures Friday, the deadline to submit signature petitions for initiatives to the Legislature. Initiative to the Legislature 502 would authorize…

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Marijuana Initiative 502 backers schedule signature turn-in

Marijuana Initiative 502 backers schedule signature turn-in

Sponsors of a marijuana initiative have made plans to bring in petitions on Dec. 29 at 10 a.m. at the state Elections Division office at 520 Union St. near the state Capitol in Olympia. UPDATE: The initiative sponsors are delivering the petitions at 2 p.m., not 10 a.m. Initiative to the Legislature 502 would authorize the state liquor control Board to regulate and tax marijuana for those 21 and older. Production, possession, delivery, distribution and sale of marijuana in accordance…

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Gregoire, Reed certify 2011 election returns

Gregoire, Reed certify 2011 election returns

Gov.  Chris Gregoire and Secretary of State Sam Reed have officially certified the 2011 General Election returns, including statewide ballot propositions, including an initiative that ends state government’s retail liquor monopoly. Meeting in the governor’s office, they signed documents certifying the vote tallies. The state enjoyed a better-than-expected “turnout” of 52.95 percent, nearly 1.94 million ballots.  The turnout was 6 percentage points higher than forecast for the off-year election with no statewide contests such as governor, U.S. senator or president…

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It’s Election Day! Remember to turn in your ballots!

It’s Election Day! Remember to turn in your ballots!

  KING5 TV’s Robert Mak interviews Secretary Reed in Seattle today. Today is General Election Day, and, if you have not voted already, you still have a few hours to turn in your ballots.  You must have your ballot postmarked Tuesday or placed in an official ballot drop box by 8 p.m.  Be sure to fill out your ballot according to its instructions, and don’t forget to sign your ballot envelope. Secretary of State Sam Reed anticipates  a 47 percent ballot…

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State election crews begin initiative checks

State election crews begin initiative checks

It’s that season again.  State election crews are hard at work, hunched over computer screens and stacks of initiative petitions, checking signatures to make sure they are valid, registered Washington voters and that the signatures match the one on file. The inspectors are checking signatures for three initiatives this year, and began Wednesday morning with the measure submitted by initiative activist Tim Eyman, I-1125, dealing with transportation tolls.  As with the other two initiatives, the I-1125 campaign turned in enough…

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