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Tag: Civics

Don’t mock this

Don’t mock this

We just got some exciting news from the other Washington (D.C.): We are one of 14 organizations to receive grants from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to support mock elections and educate students about voting.  The EAC announced this week that it has awarded $40,000 to the Office of Secretary of State to provide schools with opportunities to participate in “online voting,” election-related educational activities, and two televised segments co-sponsored by TVW, Washington’s public affairs broadcast network. The segments will…

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Corporations award nomination cycle now open

Corporations award nomination cycle now open

Do you know of a Washington corporation that’s doing great things in its community? Nominate them for a “Corporations for Communities” spring award now! Secretary Sam Reed started the Corporations for Commmunities program last year as a way to recognize exceptional local businesses making a difference around Washington. Winners receive a National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion – the state’s highest civics award. Last fall, KING 5 Television and Auburn’s Composite Solutions were picked from a statewide pool of…

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‘Mr. Moderate’? That’s our boss!

‘Mr. Moderate’? That’s our boss!

We are very proud of our boss Sam Reed, who was recently recognized as a Public Official of the Year.  Now comes a tribute to his public service career by Shelby Scates in the winter edition of  Washington Law & Politics. In the piece “Mr. Moderate,” former PI columnist Scates looks at how Sam has made key contributions  and solved major issues in Washington State over the years, all while remaining cool and even-handed.               “He may be the best…

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Bringing the State Symbols alive

Bringing the State Symbols alive

Move over spooks and goons. The Secretary of State’s executive team has mixed civics with Halloween … and the result is a total scream! Today the crew is decked out as Washington’s State Symbols – we have the State Seal, a Western Hemlock … and Dave is dressed up as a rhododendron bush. To learn more about the state’s official symbols (that is, to get your own costume idea), click here.

Capitol Kibbles

Capitol Kibbles

Stuff you should know: It was almost anticlimatic, after all the hubub all winter long, but Governor Gregoire has signed a $31.4 billion two-year state budget for Washington.  Laboring under a recession-driven $9 billion budget gap, lawmakers adopted a mix of spending cuts (about $4.4 billion), one-time money (mostly Obama-bucks from the stimulus package, for things like education and health care), and a variety of fund-balance snatches and a bunch of fee and tuition increases (such as the 14 percent annual increase in…

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Young farmer favored for House seat

Young farmer favored for House seat

A 25-year-old farmer, Jacob (Jake) Anderson of White Salmon in the Columbia Gorge, is the frontrunner for a state House vacancy created when Republican Representative Dan Newhouse joined the Democratic Gregoire Administration as state ag director. Anderson, the youngest of a long list of applicants, was tapped by Republican precinct committee officers over the weekend as their top pick, the Yakima Herald-Republic reports. David Taylor of Moxee and Don Vlieger of Sunnyside got the other two spots on a list that will…

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Locke … and loaded

Locke … and loaded

Back in his bachelor-legislator days, Gary Locke was known as a frugal, no-frills guy who fixed his own cars, re-roofed his house, and helped friends with plumbing and electrical work.  Mona Lee, the very classy woman he married before becoming a two-term governor, spruced the guy up, and when they left office after eight years, in 2005, Locke got his real taste of the good life in the private sector. Now we’re seeing just how good — and how big a pay cut he’ll…

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Greener pastures II …

Greener pastures II …

And what would happen if Governor Chris Gregoire were to give up all the power and glory, free government housing (and an $8 billion state budget nightmare) to join the Obama Cabinet or something equally cool?  Here’s how it would work:  Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, a conservative business Democrat and longtime legislator from Shelton, would move into the Governor’s Mansion (after the Gregoires and their cute doggie moved out, of course.)  And the way current law is written, he could have a pretty lengthy bit of…

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If Patty or Maria head to greener pastures …

If Patty or Maria head to greener pastures …

If Sen. Patty Murray or Sen. Maria Cantwell moved over to the Obama Cabinet or left for greener pastures  (something we’re not expecting, nor do we liken them to cattle!)  how would their successor be picked? With President Obama already responsible for four U.S. senators moving over to the Executive Branch (can you name them??),  it’s a logical question, since there’s no single preferred method in the USA.   In the case of a U.S. House vacancy, like the one created when Rahm Emanuel’s became White House…

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