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State Government

SecState Wyman receives leadership award

SecState Wyman receives leadership award

Flanked by Senate Republican Caucus Whip Ann Rivers (left) and Senate Republican Caucus Chair Linda Evans Parlette, Secretary of State Kim Wyman thanks the Senate Republican Caucus for giving her the Women in Leadership Award. (Photos courtesy of Legislative Support Services Photography Department) Secretary of State Kim Wyman has received a new award from legislators for her work in helping make an information technology training program available, for free, to people throughout Washington. Wyman is the first recipient of 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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Wyman urges more time for online registration

Wyman urges more time for online registration

Secretary Wyman listens as Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon testifies before the Senate  Government Operations Committee on HB 1267, the voter registration deadline bill that he has prime-sponsored. (Photo courtesy of Gracelin Moore) A bill seeking to change voter registrations deadlines before a Primary or General Election has drawn the support of Secretary of State Wyman, the state’s chief elections official. House Bill 1267 would extend the online registration deadline to 11 days before the election, rather than the current 29 days….

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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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Feb. 13: A noteworthy date in WA history

Feb. 13: A noteworthy date in WA history

The Hood Canal Bridge after half of it collapsed in a windstorm in 1979. (Photos courtesy of Washington State Archives) Tucked between President Lincoln’s birthday and Valentine’s Day, Feb. 13 might not seem all that remarkable. But two noteworthy events in Washington history occurred on this date within a two-year span. The first happened in 1979 when half of the Hood Canal Bridge on State Route 104 connecting the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas sank during a windstorm. The rebuilt bridge…

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New poet laureate visits Senate, SecState

New poet laureate visits Senate, SecState

(Photo courtesy of Legislative Support Services Photo Department) The Office of Secretary of State was pleased to help welcome Washington’s new poet laureate, Seattle-based Elizabeth Austen, to the Capitol on Wednesday. Austen, who is beginning a two-year term as the state’s designated teacher-performer-ambassador for poetry, was honored by a speaking role at the opening exercises of the state Senate, reading her poem “This Morning.” This Morning                                     “Light takes the Tree; but who can tell us how?”                                     – Roethke…

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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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