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Olympia

Happy Constitution Day!

Happy Constitution Day!

(Photos courtesy of Washington State Archives) It doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as Independence Day. It doesn’t offer an excuse to have a barbecue and shoot off fireworks. But Sept. 17 is a very important date in American history. It’s the date when the United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. Go here to learn more about the U.S. Constitution, including a closer look at the delegates and the issues…

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Our Capitol, now and way back then

Our Capitol, now and way back then

The Legislative Building as it currently stands. (Photo courtesy of Katy Payne) Washington’s Capitol, known as the Legislative Building, is well known for its grandeur and magnificence. As you stand on one of the 42 steps (the significance being because Washington was the 42nd state) leading to one of the massive 2,000-pound bronze front doors and look up, it might astound you how much larger the building is in person than it seems in photographs. Rising to 287 feet, it…

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Time’s running out for Capitol botanical tour

Time’s running out for Capitol botanical tour

Every day, the Washington State Capitol is open to the public for tours of the Legislative Building. Beginning in the middle of August, a cool new tour was added – a botanical tour of the whole lush campus. In a state known for its abundance of trees and plantings, it only makes sense that the Capitol Campus would be a shining example of Washington’s love of nature. The Olmsted Brothers of Central Park fame were the original designers after all….

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Free `GC2G’ exhibit now cooler, with tablets!

Free `GC2G’ exhibit now cooler, with tablets!

Check out a cool new feature of our Grand Coulee to Grunge exhibit   — tablets!  Bilingual translations, great archival photos, drilldown information and more add to the experience of the popular exhibit in the Secretary of State’s lobby in the Capitol. Our Legacy Washington team now has five tablet computers available for office visitors to check out at the front desk to enrich their visit. The exhibit opened late last summer and comes down this October before going on the…

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From the Archives: Marlon Brando and the “fish-ins”

From the Archives: Marlon Brando and the “fish-ins”

Seattle P-I story in March 1964 about Marlon Brando being arrested on charges of illegal fishing. (Image courtesy of Washington State Archives) Many people associate Marlon Brando for starring in movie classics like ”A Streetcar Named Desire” and ”The Godfather.” But many Native Americans and followers of the Northwest “fish wars” from the 1960s and ‘70s remember Brando for standing alongside tribal leaders to protest the denial of their treaty rights for fishing. It was 50 years ago this week…

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Gotta beef with that?

Gotta beef with that?

The first sign is the sight and smell of smoke wafting up behind the Washington Capitol. Then you notice a small group of men wearing Stetsons getting a large grill ready for cooking. Could it be? Yes, Thursday is Beef Day! For Capitol Campus carnivores, it’s a highlight of any legislative session. For one thing, you get a free and tasty lunch. The annual event, hosted by the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, was scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. between the…

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From the Archives: Lege Building construction in 1924

From the Archives: Lege Building construction in 1924

Washington’s Legislative Building under construction in February 1924. (Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives) The Legislative Building in Olympia is relatively quiet as many lawmakers head home for town hall meetings or other events, or just to get some well-deserved rest after working into the evening the past week in the face of Tuesday’s deadline to pass bills from their house of origin.  With the scheduled 60-day legislative session now two-thirds completed, the House and Senate are now considering bills…

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Need list of proposed constitutional amendments? We got it

Need list of proposed constitutional amendments? We got it

You’d be hard-pressed to find a year when there hasn’t been at least one legislative proposal introduced in Olympia to amend the Washington Constitution. Most of these measures, known as House or Senate joint resolutions, fail to receive the full Legislature’s approval and thus be placed before Washington voters. But there are years when such a measure gets the necessary two-thirds vote in both houses, giving Washington voters the final say on whether to change our state constitution. If you’re…

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Second gun initiative certified

Second gun initiative certified

  Boxes of Initiative 591 signatures were delivered to the Elections Division of the Office of Secretary of State in late November.  (UPDATE: Fixes number of signatures filed for I-591) Secretary of State Kim Wyman has officially certified Initiative 591 to go before the legislature this session. I-591 is the second gun-related measure before the legislature and would prohibit government agencies from requiring background checks on firearm recipients unless a uniform national standard is required. Sponsors of I-591 submitted 349,860…

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Say wow to the cow

Say wow to the cow

(Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives) Ah, Dairy Day. Along with Potato Day, Beef Day and, of course, Sine Die, it’s one of the favorite days of session for legislators, staffers, lobbyists and anyone else who works around here. It’s the day when the Washington Dairy Products Commission brings free ice cream to the Legislative Building for all to enjoy. Wednesday was this year’s edition and it was a great hit. Ice cream bars with Seahawks blue sprinkles were excellent….

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